[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 159 (Friday, October 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60363-60364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22730]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 092004E]


Endangered Species; File No. 1501 and File No. 1506

AGENCY:  National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS),National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Receipt of applications for permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the followingindividuals have 
applied in due form for permits to conduct scientificresearch on 
endangered and threatened sea turtles: Dr. Allen M. Foley,Florida Fish 
and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and WildlifeResearch 
Institute, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, 6134 Authority 
Avenue,Building 200, Jacksonville, Florida 32221 (File No. 1501); and 
Dr. Blair E.Witherington, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation 
Commission, Fish andWildlife Research Institute, Melbourne Beach Field 
Laboratory, 9700 SouthA1A, Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951 (File No. 
1506).

DATES: Written or telefaxed comments must be receivedon or before 
November 8, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The applications and related documents areavailable for 
review upon written request or by appointment in thefollowing 
office(s):
    Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
ProtectedResources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver 
Spring, MD20910; phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)713-0376; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 9721 Executive Center Drive North, 
St.Petersburg, FL 33702-2432; phone (727)570-5301; fax(727)570-5320.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on these 
applicationsshould be mailed to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and 
EducationDivision, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 
East-WestHighway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those 
individuals requestinga hearing should set forth the specific reasons 
why a hearing on theparticular request would be appropriate.
    Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301)713-
0376,provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail 
andpostmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.
    Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address 
forproviding email comments is [email protected].Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following documentidentifier: 
either File No. 1501 or File No. 1506.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Jefferiesor Patrick Opay, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permits arerequested under the 
authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, asamended (ESA; 16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the regulationsgoverning the taking, 
importing, and exporting of endangered and threatenedspecies (50 CFR 
222-226).
    File No. 1501: Dr. Foley seeks authorization to capture and 
trackloggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Cheloniamydas), Kemp's ridley 
(Lepidochelys kempii), andhawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea 
turtles for twoseparate projects in Florida Bay. The first project 
would continue anon-going long-term study of all four species in which, 
annually, up to 175adult and juvenile loggerheads, 20 adult and 
juvenile greens, 20 adult andjuvenile Kemp's ridley, and 10 adult and 
juvenile hawksbill sea turtleswould be captured by hand, measured, 
weighed, examined for tumors,photographed, Passive Integrated 
Transponder (PIT) and flipper tagged,blood sampled, marked on the 
carapace with a white laminating gel andsubsequently released. The 
loggerhead sea turtles would also have a skinsample taken. This work 
would be conducted for five years from permitissuance during the

[[Page 60364]]

months of June and July. A second study would beconducted on loggerhead 
sea turtles in Florida Bay and in a nearbylaboratory: annually, up to 
50 adult loggerhead sea turtles would becaptured by hand, measured, 
weighed, examined for tumors, photographed, PITand flipper tagged, skin 
and blood sampled, and marked on the carapace witha white laminating 
gel in the field. The turtles would then be transportedby boat to the 
Keys Marine Lab and held for a maximum of 24 hours. Duringthis time, 
the researchers would perform ultrasounds, testicular biopsies,and 
laparoscopy. The turtles would then be transported back to the 
capturesite and released. A subset of 15 sea turtles would also be 
tagged with acombination of a satellite, sonic and temperature-depth 
recorder. Thisresearch would be conducted for five years from issuance 
of the permitduring the months of February and March.
    File No. 1506: Dr. Witherington seeks authorization to study 
neonateand juvenile sea turtles in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and 
theAtlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. Annually, up to 250 neonate 
andjuvenile loggerheads, 10 neonate and juvenile greens, five neonate 
andjuvenile hawksbill, two neonate and juvenile Kemp's ridley, and two 
neonateand juvenile leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) sea turtleswould 
be captured via long-handled dip nets, handled, measured, andreleased. 
A subset of up to 50 neonate and juvenile loggerhead sea turtleswould 
be transported less than five hours to a nearby port, held for 12hours, 
and then transported less than four hours to an imaging center 
wherethey would be held for no more than four days and examined for 
plastic andtar loads with either a veterinary high-resolution magnetic 
resonanceinterferometry instrument or a computerized tomography. The 
turtles wouldthen be returned to the point of capture and released. 
Feces samples wouldalso be collected during the holding period. These 
activities would beauthorized for five years from permit issuance.

    Dated: October 1, 2004.
Carrie W. Hubard,
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and EducationDivision, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine FisheriesService.
[FR Doc. 04-22730 Filed 10-7-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S