[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29377-29378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14143]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at title 45 part 670 
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 
permit applications received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to these permit applications by June 30, 1997. 
Permit applications may be inspected by interested parties at the 
Permit Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ndene G. Kennedy at the above address or (703) 306-1033.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), has 
developed regulations that implement the ``Agreed Measures for the 
Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora'' for all United States 
citizens. The Agreed Measures, developed by the Antarctic Treaty 
Consultative Parties, recommended establishment of a permit system for 
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and 
certain geographic areas as requiring special protection. The 
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Specially 
Protected Areas and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

    The application received is follows:

1. Applicant
    W. Scott Drieschman, Wildlife Concepts International, Inc., P.O. 
Box 65, Palomar Mountain, California 92060
    Permit Application: 98-001

Activity for Which Permit is Requested

    Taking; Import to the U.S. (transship). The applicant proposes to 
collect no more than 60 Emperor chicks (less than .03% of the total 
estimated population and less than 0.6% of the Dawson-Lambton colony) 
for scientific purposes, zoological display, and education. Due to late 
hatching there are chicks that will not survive. The intent of the 
project is to collect the chicks with no chance of survival. The impact 
to the overall breeding success of the colony will not be affected in 
this case. Weights of the chicks will be taken to determine if the 
individuals fit the collection criteria for body mass (3-5 kg).
    The chicks will be transported in individual ``blue ice'' 
containers (same methodology has been successfully used by other 
penguin biologists) that provide easy access to the birds for 
monitoring and feeding purposes. Two penguin biologists will accompany 
the Emperor chicks as they are transported from Antarctica to the 
Nagoya Aquarium in Japan. This facility opened in October 1992 and has 
one of the most advanced Antarctic exhibit complexes in the worlds. The 
penguin exhibit contains four species: Adelie, chinstrap, gentoo and 
king penguins. The aquarium has bred all four penguin species since the 
facility opened and at the present time has a self sufficient 
population of birds. Mortality is very low at less than one percent per 
year; much lower than any wild populations. There have been no chronic 
health problems, nor has there been any outbreak of contagious disease.
    Currently there are only two breeding colonies of Emperors outside 
of the Antarctic, at Sea World of San Diego and Sea World of Ohio. The 
addition of Emperor penguins to the Nagoya Aquarium will make it the 
third.
    Location: Areas adjacent to the Dawson-Lambton Glacier, Filchner 
Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea.
    Dates: October 1, 1997-February 28, 1998.

2. Applicant

[[Page 29378]]

    Randall Davis, Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, 
P.O. Box 1675, Galveston, Texas 77553
    Permit Application: 98-004

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Taking and Import into the U.S. The applicant will investigate the 
behavorial and energetic adaptions that enable Weddell seals to forage 
into the Antarctic fast-ice environment. They will examine the 
underwater behavior, locomotor performances (swimming velocity, stroke 
frequency, amplitude and three-dimensional movements) and energy 
metabolism during foraging dives. To accomplish this, the applicant 
proposes to capture up to 15 Weddell seals each season. The seals will 
be weighed, immobilized and sedated for attachment of a video camera 
and a small radio transmitter to a piece of neoprene rubber glued to 
the fur along the dorsal midline above the shoulders with neoprene 
rubber cement. In addition, blood and muscle tissue samples will be 
taken and imported in the U.S. for analysis of metabolites and 
myoglobin. During each deployment of the video system, a single seal 
will be captured, instrumented and released into an ice hole for five 
days. The rubber pad will eventually fall off when the seal molts.
    Location: McMurdo Sound vicinity.
    Dates: October 1, 1997 to February 1, 2000.

3. Applicant
    Wayne Z. Trivelpiece, Department of Biology, Montana State 
University, Bozeman, Montana 59717
    Permit Application No. 98-005

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Taking; Import into the U.S.; and, Enter Site of Special Scientific 
Interest. The applicant is conducting a continuing study of behavioral 
ecology and population biology of the Adelie, gentoo, and chinstrap 
penguins and the interactions among these species and their principal 
avian predators: skuas, gulls, sheathbills, and giant fulmars. Up to 
1000 Adelie and gentoo chicks, plus 150 adults of each of all three 
penguin species, will be branded. Up to 50 adults of each penguin 
species will be fitted with radio transmitters and time-depth recorders 
to continue studying penguin foraging habits. The study also involves 
stomach pumping of 40 adult penguins per species. In addition the 
principal avian predators of the penguins, mentioned above, will also 
be studied, requiring adults and chicks to be banded, if possible. One 
(1) milliliter sample of blood will be collected from each of a maximum 
of 20 breeding adults of each penguin species for DNA analysis. All 
captured birds will be released unharmed. Carcasses and skeletons of 
penguins and other birds salvaged at the study site will be imported 
into the U.S. for educational and scientific study.
    Location: SSSI #8--Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, King George 
Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.
    Dates: October 1, 1997-April 1, 1998.

4. Applicant
    Robert Wharton, Jr., Desert Reseach Institute, P.O. Box 60220, 
Reno, Nevada 89506
    Permit Application No. 98-006

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Site of Special Scientific Interest. The applicant proposes 
to enter the Barwick Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest #3 to 
obtain hydrological data on lake levels and ice thickness. Besides 
extending baseline data in Barwick Valley, these data will contribute 
to ongoing investigations of lake ice dynamics in the Dry Valleys 
carried out by the LTER and NASA Exobiology projects. Data collection 
will be done by completely non-intrusive means. There will be no 
drilling, sample collection, or environmental manipulations of any 
kind. Lake leveling will be done with optical survey instruments, and 
ice thickness will be performed with ground penetrating radar (GPR). 
The applicant plans to enter the SSSI during two day trips in November. 
Personnel will be put down by helicopter outside the SSSI boundaries, 
establish a small tent camp, then hike into the SSSI to Lake Vashka 
(approximately 5 km).
    Location: SSSI #3--Barwick Valley, Victoria Land, Antarctica.
    Dates: November 1, 1997 to November 15, 1997.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 97-14143 Filed 5-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M