[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 237 (Friday, December 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76950-76951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31669]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA861


Marine Mammals; File No. 16473

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 D. Ann Pabst, Ph.D., University of 
North Carolina Wilmington, has applied in due form for a permit to 
conduct research on marine mammals.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before January 9, 2012.

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, http://

[[Page 76951]]

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 16473 from the list of 
available applications.
    These documents are also available upon written request or by 
appointment in the following offices:

Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 
1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone 
(301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376;
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.

    Written comments on this application should be submitted to the 
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, at the address 
listed above. 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: Kristy Beard or Carrie Hubard, (301) 
427-8401.

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 parts 222-226).
    The permit would be valid for five years from the date of issuance 
and would authorize level B harassment of marine mammals, including 
five species listed as endangered. Proposed research would take place 
throughout the year, from Delaware Bay to Cape Canaveral, Florida out 
to 120 nm offshore. The primary research objectives are: (1) To 
document the presence of North Atlantic right and humpback whales in 
the mid-Atlantic and (2) To describe the distribution and abundance of 
all cetaceans within specific geographic regions that are currently 
used for U.S. Navy training activities or may be in the future. 
Research activities include aerial and vessel surveys to conduct 
counts, photo-identification, and behavioral observations. Up to 200 
humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), 100 fin (Balaenoptera physalus), 150 
sperm (Physeter macrocephalus), 200 North Atlantic right whales 
(Eubalaena glacialis), 40 sei (B. borealis), 100 minke (B. 
acutorostrata), 100 dwarf and pygmy sperm (Kogia spp.), 100 
unidentified beaked, 50 killer (Orcinus orca), 5,000 pilot 
(Globicephala spp.), 100 false killer (Pseudorca crassidens), 100 pygmy 
killer (Feresa attenuata), and 100 melon-headed (Peponocephala electra) 
whales, 8,000 bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus), 5,000 Atlantic spotted 
(Stenella frontalis), 2,500 Risso's (Grampus griseus), 100 Fraser's 
(Lagenodelphis hosei), 1,000 rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis), 100 
pantropical spotted (S. attenuata), 500 striped (S. coeruleoalba), 250 
clymene (S. clymene), 100 spinner (S. longirostris), and 1,000 short-
beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and 100 harbor porpoise 
(Phocoena phocoena) would be taken annually.
    A draft environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared in 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), to examine whether significant environmental 
impacts could result from issuance of the proposed scientific research 
permit. The draft EA is available for review and comment simultaneous 
with the scientific research permit application.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: December 6, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-31669 Filed 12-8-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P