[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 76 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20738-20739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8033]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 032405A]


Endangered Species; Permits No. 1509 and 1522

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

ACTION: Issuance of permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Michael Salmon (Permit No. 1509) 
and Kenneth Lohmann (Permit No. 1522) have been issued permits to take 
endangered and threatened sea turtles for purposes of scientific 
research.

ADDRESSES: The permits and related documents are available for review 
upon written request or by appointment in the following office(s):
    Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 
20910; phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)427-2521; and
    Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, Southeast 
Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (tel: 
727/824-5312, fax 727/824-5517).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Opay or Ruth Johnson, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 9, 2005, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (70 FR 11619) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take threatened sea turtles had been submitted by 
Jeanette Wyneken (Permit No. 1509). Ms. Wyneken subsequently requested 
that the permit be issued to Michael Salmon. On February 23, 2005, 
notice was published in the Federal Register (70 FR 8767) that a 
request for a scientific research permit to take endangered and 
threatened sea turtles had been submitted by Kenneth Lohmann. The 
requested permits have been issued under the authority of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and 
exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).

[[Page 20739]]

    Michael Salmon, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University, Dept. of 
Biological Sciences, 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton, FL 33431: Permit No. 
1509 authorizes Dr. Salmon to take ESA-listed turtles in the waters of 
Florida. Researchers may capture a total of 80 loggerhead (Caretta 
caretta) sea turtle hatchlings over a 2-year period. Animals will be 
tracked, captured by hand or dip net, have a float tether removed from 
their carapace, and released. A subset of these animals may also be 
transported to the Gulf Stream if they need help to reach it. The 
research will investigate whether mis-oriented turtles remain 
behaviorally competent when released at beach sites and are likely to 
complete their offshore migration, and whether they are likely to 
survive and contribute to population recovery.
    Kenneth Lohmann, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Wilson Hall, 
CB3280, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel 
Hill, NC 27599: Permit No. 1522 authorizes Dr. Lohmann to annually 
capture up to 120 loggerhead and 40 green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle 
hatchlings over a 5-year period. Turtles will be tracked, captured by 
hand or dip net, have experimental gear removed, and be released. The 
research will take place in the waters off the Florida coast as part of 
magnetic orientation studies of hatchlings.
    Dr. Lohmann will also take up to 6 adult loggerhead sea turtles 
annually over five years. Animals will be tracked and have their float 
tether removed while at sea in waters off the coast of Florida as part 
of sea turtle navigation studies.
    Issuance of these permits, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that such permits (1) were applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of any endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies set 
forth in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: April 15, 2005.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-8033 Filed 4-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S