[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 23 (Thursday, February 3, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2409]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 3, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

 

Marine Mammals

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), NOAA, Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of application for a scientific research permit 
(P557A).

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Scripps Institute of Oceanography, 
Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Acoustic Thermometry of 
Ocean Climate Program, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0225, has 
applied in due form for a permit to take several species of marine 
mammals and sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before March 7, 1994.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following 
office(s):

Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289);
Director, Southwest Region, NMFS, NOAA, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, 
suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310/980-4016).

    Written data or views or requests for a public hearing on this 
request should be submitted to the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries, NMFS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice. Those individuals requesting a hearing should set forth 
the specific reasons why a hearing on this particular request would be 
appropriate.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, the Secretary of Commerce is forwarding copies of this 
application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of 
Scientific Advisors.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Regulations Governing the Taking and 
Importing of Marine Mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the regulations 
governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered fish and 
wildlife (50 CFR part 222).
    This permit application is to incidentally harass marine mammals 
and sea turtles by a low frequency (60-80 Hz) sound source which will 
be located due west of Pt. Sur, California, at 850-950m depth. This 
sound source is part of the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate 
(ATOC) Program, and will be operated from approximately April 1, 1994, 
through March 31, 1996, with a maximum duty cycle of 8%, to conduct 
research on the effects of this source on marine mammals. The 
transmission bandwidth is approximately 20 Hz with a level of 195 dB 
(re: 1 uPa at 1m) and the spectrum level for the peak frequency (70 Hz) 
is 182 dB (re: 1 uPa at 1m). The effects of these transmissions on 
marine mammals and sea turtles will be monitored through passive 
acoustic tracking, satellite and recoverable tagging of ``indicator'' 
species, and visual surveys and observations.

    Dated: January 27, 1994.
Herbert W. Kaufman,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 94-2409 Filed 2-2-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-M