[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15940-15941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-8004]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XO45


Marine Mammals; File No. 14241

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. Peter Tyack, Woods Hole 
Oceanographic Institute, Woods Hole, MA, has applied in due form for a 
permit to conduct research on marine mammals.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before May 8, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review by selecting ``Records Open for Public Comment'' from the 
Features box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species 
(APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File 
No. 14241 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available 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;
    Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 
01930; phone (978)281-9300; fax (978) 281-9333; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, 
Florida 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 e-mail comments is [email protected]. Include ``File 
No. 14241'' in the subject line of the e-mail comment as a document 
identifier.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the 
taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    The applicant requests a five-year permit to conduct research on 
cetacean behavior, sound production, and responses to sound. The 
research will contribute to conservation and management of the subject 
species by (1) collecting data on vocal behavior critical for 
estimating how well passive acoustic monitoring can detect and estimate 
abundance for different species, (2) determining what characteristics 
of exposure to specific sounds evoke what responses in marine mammals, 
and (3) studying behavioral responses including those that might relate 
to potential risks of stranding or entanglement in fishing gear. The 
research methods include tagging marine mammals with an advanced 
digital sound recording tag that records the acoustic stimuli an animal 
hears and measures vocalization, behavior, and physiological 
parameters. Another method involves conducting sound playbacks in a 
carefully controlled manner at received levels up to 180 dB re 1 
microPa and measuring animals' responses. The principal study species 
are beaked whales, especially Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius 
cavirostris), and large delphinids such as long-finned pilot whales 
(Globicephala melas). The location for the field work involving 
playback is near the Mediterranean Sea; the location for tagging to 
study risks of entanglement is mid-Atlantic states, especially near 
Cape Hatteras; and the location for studying pre-stranding behavior is 
Cape Cod Bay. Please refer to the tables in the application for a 
complete list of species and associated research activities by 
location.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the

[[Page 15941]]

application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of 
Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: April 2, 2009.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-8004 Filed 4-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S