[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 174 (Monday, September 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 51621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17776]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC38


Marine Mammals; File No. 1034-1854

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for amendment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Markus Horning, Department of 
Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science 
Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, has requested 
an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 1034-1854.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before October 10, 2007

ADDRESSES: The amendment request 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
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this request 
should be submitted 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 amendment 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 e-mail comments is [email protected]. Include in the 
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: 
File No. 1034-1854.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Tammy Adams, (301)713-
2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 1034-
1854, issued on September 18, 2006 (71 FR 56110) is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and 
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    Permit No. 1034-1854 authorizes the permit holder to conduct 
research on Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) to compare oxygen 
handling, body condition, muscle physiology, and foraging behavior in 
young adults and old adults. A total of 48 animals may have the 
following procedures performed: capture, sedation; morphometrics; 
ultrasound; blood and muscle samples taken; administration of Evans 
blue dye and deuterium oxide; external and internal data recorders 
deployed; release; recapture to add device to manipulate energy 
expenditure; and recapture to remove instruments. Up to 250 animals 
seals may be incidentally harassed during these activities. The permit 
expires on September 30, 2011.
    The permit holder requests authorization to (1) increase the number 
of sequential blood samples from animals with Evans blue dye 
administered from three to five samples for accurate plasma volume 
determinations; (2) leave the satellite data transmitters on adult 
females until they fall off no later than the annual molt, rather than 
removing them at the end of the field season, for the purpose of 
recording more dives and increasing the power of age group dive 
behavior comparisons; and (3) opportunistically attach satellite 
transmitters to selected adult females older than 21 years when first 
encountered, for subsequent recapture, sampling, and outfitting with 
remaining telemetry devices. The permit holder requests pre-tagging 
older females because of the difficulty in encountering adult, non-
pregnant and non-lactating females older than 21 years. Such tagged 
females could be tracked and captured to be fully included in the 
experiments when all sampling equipment was in place. No changes to the 
number of animals permitted, or handling durations during procedures, 
are proposed. The permit holder also proposes to collect opportunistic 
fecal samples and import them into the U.S. for fecal corticosterone 
analysis to determine individual animal stress levels.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: September 4, 2007.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-17776 Filed 9-7-07; 8:45 am]
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