[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 152 (Monday, August 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 48184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19961]



[[Page 48184]]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit applications received under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 
permit applications received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by September 7, 2011. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Polly A. Penhale at the above address 
or (703) 292-7420.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), as amended 
by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has 
developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for 
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and 
certain geographic areas requiring special protection. The regulations 
establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic Specially 
Protected Areas.
    The applications received are as follows:
    1. Applicant: Permit Application No. 2012-005, George Watters, 
Director, U.S. AMLR Program, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, 
8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Enter an Antarctic 
Specially Protected Area, and Import into the USA. The applicant plans 
to census, photo, capture/restrain, measure, weigh, tag, instrument 
(TDR, VHF, GLS, GPS, PTT, and/or PIT), anesthesia, sample collection 
(blood, hair, nail, fecal, skin biopsy, vibrissae, tooth, milk, scat, 
and IV/IM injections (including DLW) up to 200 adult/juvenile and 600 
pup Antarctic fur seals, 50 adult/juvenile Leopard seals, 50 adult/
juvenile and 100 pup Southern elephant seals, and 30 adult/juvenile and 
20 pup Weddell seals as part of a long-term ecosystem monitoring 
program established in 1986 studying the foraging ecology, population 
dynamics, census and reproductive success and energetic of Antarctic 
seals.
    In addition, the applicant will continue studies of the behavioral 
ecology and population biology of the Adelie, Gentoo and Chinstrap 
penguins, and interactions among these species and their principal 
avian predators (skuas, gulls, sheathbills and giant petrels). Up to 
2000 Chinstraps, 1500 Adelie, 2700 Gentoo penguins, 250 Brown skua, 350 
South polar skua, 600 Giant petrel, 100 Kelp gulls, 150 Blue-eyed shag, 
20 Snowy sheathbills, and 200 Cape Petrels will be banded, measured, 
eggs collected, blood sampled, fecal and feathers sampled. After sample 
collection, all birds will be released.
    Location: ASPA 149-Cape Shirreff and San Telmo Island, ASPA 128-
Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, and ASPA 151-Lions Rump, Antarctic 
Peninsula region.
    Dates: October 1, 2011 to July 30, 2016.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2011-19961 Filed 8-5-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P