[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9580-9581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4407]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XU70


Marine Mammals and Endangered Species; File Nos. 13544 and 14586

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

ACTION:  Notice; receipt of application for modification and 
application

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given that Jeffrey Schmid, Ph.D, Conservancy 
of Southwest Florida, Naples, FL 34102, has requested a modification to 
scientific research Permit No. 13544 and Jeanette Wyneken, Florida 
Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, has applied in due form to 
conduct scientific research (File No. 14586).

DATES:  Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before April 2, 2010.

ADDRESSES:  The application 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. 13544-01 or 
14586 from the list of available applications. These documents are also 
available upon written request or by appointment in the following 
offices:
    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) 713-0376; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.
    Written comments or requests for a public hearing on these requests 
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 the particular 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 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. 13544-01 or File No. 14586.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Kate Swails or Amy Hapeman (File No. 
13544-01); Kate Swails or Amy Sloan (File No. 14586) at (301) 713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The modification to Permit No. 13544, issued 
on April 17, 2009 (74 FR 18354) is requested under the authority of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (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).Permit No. 13544 
authorizes the permit holder to characterize the aggregations of sea 
turtles in the nearshore waters of Lee County in southwest Florida. The 
permit holder may annually capture 130 Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys 
kempii), 50 loggerhead (Caretta caretta), 20 green (Chelonia mydas), 
and five hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles. Turtles are 
collected using a large-mesh, run-around strike net. Turtles are 
measured, weighed, and tagged with Inconel and passive integrated 
transponder tags. Tissue samples are collected for genetic and stable 
isotope analyses. A subset of Kemp's ridleys are held for 24-48 hours 
for fecal sample collection. Another subset of Kemp's ridleys receive 
electronic transmitters to investigate their movements, home range, and 
habitat associations. The permit expires on April 30, 2014.
    The permit holder requests authorization to satellite tag a subset 
of Kemp's ridley and loggerhead turtles to determine their seasonal 
distribution and possible migrations in the waters of the southeastern 
Gulf.
    File No. 14586 is requested under the authority of the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et. 
seq.), the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine 
mammals (50 CFR part 216), 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).

[[Page 9581]]

    File No. 14586 would authorize researchers to conduct aerial and 
vessel surveys in the Straits of Florida off Florida's southeast coast. 
The goal of this project would be to collect baseline data regarding 
the abundance and distribution of marine mammals and sea turtles within 
the proposed study site. Since this study site is being considered as a 
testing site for ocean energy technology, researchers would assess the 
presence of animals before, during, and after the testing.
    Abundance surveys could result in the harassment of sea turtles 
[leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead, green, hawksbill, and 
Kemp's ridley], as well as numerous cetacean species including fin 
whales (Balaenoptera physalus), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), 
humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae), and the North Atlantic right 
whale (Eubalaena glacialis). The permit would be valid for five years 
from the date of issuance.

    Dated: February 25, 2010.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-4407 Filed 3-2-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S