[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 40004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13601]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 070505B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1541

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

ACTION: Receipt of application.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Kristen M. Hart, Ph.D., United 
States Geologic Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Center for 
Coastal & Watershed Studies, has applied in due form for a permit to 
take green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) for purposes of scientific 
research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before August 11, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The application 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
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727)824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this 
application should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and 
Education Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 
East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those 
individuals requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons 
why a hearing on this particular request would be appropriate.
    Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301)427-2521, 
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and 
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.
    Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for 
providing email comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: 
File No. 1541.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested 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 
222-226).
    The applicant proposes to capture up to 106 green sea turtles over 
the course of a three-year permit, utilizing dip nets or pound nets. 
The pound nets will be set up daily by the researchers, monitored at 
all times, and taken down when not in use. All 106 turtles will be 
captured, measured, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) and flipper 
tagged, blood sampled, skin biopsied, oral gastric lavaged, fecal 
sampled, and released. A subset of these turtles would have satellite 
or acoustic transmitters attached to their carapace. The purpose of the 
proposed research is to study juvenile and sub-adult green sea turtles 
found in the waters of the Big Sable Creek (BSC) complex in Everglades 
National Park in southwest Florida, to determine whether or not these 
animals are resident in BSC, or use it as a stopover point during 
migration; to determine whether the turtles use BSC as a foraging or 
nursery grounds; to determine the turtles' origin by use of genetic 
testing; to determine what the turtles forage on while in BSC; to 
determine their relative abundance over time; to detect changes in sea 
turtle size and age composition; and to track the turtles using a 
variety of tagging methods to monitor and document movement and 
migration patterns.

    Dated: July 6, 2005.
Tammy C. Adams
Acting Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-13601 Filed 7-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S