[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13730-13731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6336]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XV40


Marine Mammals; File No. 14118

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 Becky Woodward, Ph.D., 266 Woods 
Hole Road, MS 50, Woods Hole, MA 02543, has applied in due 
form for a permit to conduct research on cetaceans.

DATES:  Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or 
before April 22, 2010.

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. 14118 from the list of available applications. These documents are 
also available upon written request or by appointment in the following 
offices: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Written comments on this application should be submitted to the 
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Comments may also be 
submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or by email to 
[email protected]. Please include the File No. in the subject 
line of the email comment.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education 
Division at the address listed above. The request should set forth the 
specific reasons why a hearing on this application would be 
appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Carrie Hubard or Kristy Beard, (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.), 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).
    The applicant requests a permit to attach tags to a variety of 
large and small endangered and non-endangered cetacean species. 
Research would occur in the North Atlantic from Maine to Texas and in 
the North Pacific from Alaska to California, including Hawaii. A 
peduncle belt type tag attachment mechanism has been developed as a 
noninvasive tagging option for medium to long-term cetacean studies. 
Two different types of peduncle belt tags would be used: (1) a form-
fitting saddle pack tag which sits on the dorsal ridge of the peduncle 
just before the fluke insertion and (2) a peduncle-let harness which 
secures a towed telemetry buoy. Multiple research objectives would be 
addressed using data from the tags, including: (1) long-term movement 
and habitat use studies using satellite/GPS/depth tags, (2) medium-term 
acoustic studies using an audio recording package to examine 
transmitted and received sound, and (3) extended fine-scale behavioral 
ecology studies using multi-sensor data recording packages.
    Initial efforts would be limited to five species. In the first 
year, a maximum of 10 humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), 10 
long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), 10 short-

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finned pilot whales (G. macrorhynchus), and 10 false killer whales 
(Pseudorca crassidens) would be tagged in the Atlantic Ocean. In the 
Pacific Ocean, the applicant would tag a maximum of 10 long-finned 
pilot whales, 10 short-finned pilot whales, 10 false killer whales, and 
10 belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) of the Bristol Bay stock during the 
first year of the permit.
    Based on the success of the tagging, research efforts would expand 
during the life of the permit to incorporate new species and to 
increase the number of animals tagged annually. During the second year 
of the permit, sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), minke whales 
(Balaenoptera acutorostrata), Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon 
densirostris), Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), and 
eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) would also be 
targeted for tagging. In year three, the applicant would add North 
Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) and belugas of the Cook 
Inlet stock to the species that may be tagged.
    Other research activities include photo-identification, behavioral 
observations, tracking and monitoring, passive acoustics, photography 
and video both above water and underwater, and collection of sloughed 
skin. Other animals, including fin (B. physalus) and sei (B. borealis) 
whales, may be incidentally harassed during tagging operations. See the 
application for specific take numbers by species and year. The permit 
would be valid for a period of five years.
    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.
    Documents may be reviewed in the following locations:
    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;
    Northwest Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, BIN C15700, Bldg. 
1, Seattle, WA 98115-0700; phone (206) 526-6150; fax (206) 526-6426;
    Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone 
(907) 586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249;
    Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long 
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018;
    Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, 
Honolulu, HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 944-2200; fax (808) 973-2941;
    Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 
01930; phone (978) 281-9328; fax (978) 281-9394; and
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.

    Dated: March 18, 2010.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-6336 Filed 3-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S