[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 21, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79155-79157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32689]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA880


Marine Mammals; Issuance of Permits

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permits.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that individuals and institutions have 
been issued Letters of Confirmation for activities conducted under the 
General Authorization for Scientific Research on marine mammals. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for a list of names and address of 
recipients.

ADDRESSES: The Letters of Confirmation and related documents are 
available for review upon written request or by appointment in the 
following office: 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Protected Resources, Permits 
Division, (301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The requested Letters of Confirmation have 
been issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations 
governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216). 
The General Authorization allows for bona fide scientific research that 
may result only in taking by level B harassment of marine mammals. The 
following Letters of Confirmation (LOC) were issued in Fiscal Year 
2011.
    File No. 15683: Issued to Dr. David Mann, University of South 
Florida, St.

[[Page 79156]]

Petersburg, FL on October 15, 2010, authorizes visual and passive 
acoustic recordings, photo-identification, and behavioral observations 
of 22 cetacean species off the West Florida Shelf (including coastal 
waters to the continental shelf and slope, extending northwestward to 
the area near the Deepwater Horizon spill site). The purpose of the 
study is to build on a comprehensive, unique dataset that can be used 
as the basis for modeling cetacean distributions to determine how 
cetacean distributions vary between seasons, and if it is correlated 
with any physical or biological features. The LOC expires on October 
31, 2015.
    File No. 16103: Issued to Eric Montie, Ph.D., University of South 
Carolina Beaufort, Bluffton, SC on December 30, 2010, authorizes visual 
and passive acoustic recordings, photo-identification, and behavioral 
observations of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in coastal 
waters surrounding Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, including the 
May River, Cooper River, Calibogue Sound, Colleton River, Okatie River, 
Chechessee River, Broad River, Port Royal Sound, adjoining creeks, and 
along the Atlantic Ocean side of Hilton Head Island, not extending more 
than one mile offshore. The objectives of the study are to: (1) 
Acoustically and visually determine distribution of dolphins and their 
prey, (2) determine the acoustic behavior of dolphins and their prey, 
and (3) determine the effect of anthropogenic noise on dolphin and prey 
distributions. The LOC expires on December 31, 2015.
    File No. 16104: Issued to Dr. Robert Young, Coastal Carolina 
University, Conway, SC on December 30, 2010, authorizes visual surveys, 
photo-identification, and behavioral observations in the marsh, inland 
and coastal waters out to 10 miles offshore of South Carolina and North 
Carolina. Studies will be primarily focused on the North Inlet/Winyah 
Bay system near Georgetown, SC, coastal waters near Murrells Inlet, SC, 
Cape Romain near McClellanville, SC, the Bull Creek/May River system 
near Bluffton, SC and Little River Inlet, SC. The purpose of the study 
is to: (1) Continue an on-going dolphin ecology research program, which 
includes studies on bioenergetics and birth timing; and (2) continue 
photo-ID and transect survey effort to contribute to understanding of 
abundance, stock structure, and residency of bottlenose dolphins along 
the Southeast U.S. coast. The LOC expires on December 31, 2015.
    File No. 16183: Issued to Daniela Maldini, Okeanis, Moss Landing, 
CA on March 2, 2011, authorizes vessel surveys, photo-identification, 
and behavioral observations off the California coast with focuses in 
Monterey Bay, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Half-Moon Bay and San Francisco 
Bay within 1 km of the shoreline. The purposes of the study are to 
estimate the population size of bottlenose dolphins in Monterey Bay and 
compare the Monterey Bay photo-identification catalogue to the Southern 
California Bight catalogue to revise population estimates for the 
California coastal stock of bottlenose dolphins. The LOC expires on 
February 29, 2016.
    File No. 16185: Issued to Dr. Andrew J. Read, Duke University, 
Beaufort, NC on March 30, 2011, authorizes visual and aerial surveys 
including photographic identification, behavioral observation and 
passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) with a towed array of 22 non-
endangered cetacean species. Studies will focus on bottlenose dolphins, 
Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and pilot whales 
(Globicephala spp.), and be conducted in estuarine and coastal waters 
out to 100 nautical miles offshore of the North Carolina/Virginia 
border south to latitude 29 degrees N. Specific goals are to: (1) 
Continue with photo-ID and transect survey effort to contribute to 
understanding of occurrence, distribution, and ranging patterns of 
cetaceans along the Southeast U.S. coast, (2) investigate pilot whale 
interactions with longline gear, (3) conduct year-round line transect 
surveys in the Navy's Undersea Warfare Training Range off of North 
Carolina and northern Florida, (4) conduct PAM during vessel based 
surveys, and (5) coordinate with the stranding network to cross 
reference stranded animals with photo-identification catalogs. The LOC 
expires on April 1, 2016.
    File No. 16232: Issued to GeoMarine, Inc., Plano, TX [Responsible 
Party: Jason Holt See; Principle Investigator: Amy Whitt] on April 7, 
2011, authorizes visual surveys, close approach, photo-identification, 
and behavioral observations along the coast from New Jersey to North 
Carolina and extending from 19 to 36 nautical miles (NM) offshore. The 
purpose of the study is to provide baseline information on 31 non-
endangered marine mammal species that would better inform offshore 
renewable energy developers, regulators, and other stakeholders of the 
distribution, abundance, behavior, and migration of marine species in 
nearshore waters of southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and 
Virginia, which is a region of significant potential offshore wind farm 
development. The LOC expires on March 31, 2016.
    File No. 16223: Issued to Frank Fish, Ph.D., Department of Biology, 
West Chester University, West Chester, PA on April 25, 2011, to 
videotape and observe harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals 
(Halichoerus grypus) off Duck Island, ME. The purpose of the study is 
to photo-document terrestrial locomotion of phocid seals to assess 
potential habitats that can be used by seals if populations are to 
increase along the northeastern U.S. coast. The LOC expires on August 
30, 2014.
    File No. 16260: Issued on April 25, 2011 to William E Bemis, Ph.D., 
Kingsbury Director, Shoals Marine Laboratory, Portsmouth, NH for photo-
identification and observations of harbor seals and gray seals at Duck 
Island, ME. The study objectives are to photo-document pinniped 
distribution and use of islands around the Isles of Shoals, as well as 
monitor the inter and intra-species interactions and behaviors critical 
to understanding the life history of these marine mammals throughout 
the entire Gulf of Maine for conservation, health and management. The 
LOC expires on June 30, 2015.
    File No. 14903: This LOC, held by Lisa Sette, Provincetown Center 
for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA, was modified on April 27, 2011, 
to include additional sampling locations within Nantucket Sound. The 
objectives of the study are to provide information on the haul-out 
structure and possible distribution shifts of harbor and gray seals 
around New England. The LOC expires on March 1, 2015.
    File No. 1094-1836: Issued to Peggy Stap, Marine Life Studies, 
Monterey, California on April 27, 2006 was extended on April 29, 2011. 
The purpose of the research is to study the foraging strategies of 
transient and offshore killer whales (Orcinus orca) and investigate the 
abundance, distribution, movement, and frequency of occurrence of other 
cetacean species in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The LOC 
was extended from April 30, 2011 to July 31, 2011.
    File No. 16381: Issued on May 16, 2011 to Maddalena Bearzi, Ph.D., 
Ocean Conservation Society, Marina Del Rey, CA for photo-
identification, observations, and harassment of marine mammals during 
vessel surveys in the coastal and offshore waters of Southern 
California. The study objectives are to continue the long-term study of 
inshore/offshore marine mammal ecology and investigations on the 
presence of skin diseases and physical deformities on coastal and 
offshore bottlenose

[[Page 79157]]

dolphins. The LOC expires on May 31, 2016.
    File No. 15621: Issued on June 3, 2011 to Peggy Stap, Marine Life 
Studies, Monterey, CA for photo-identification, passive acoustic 
recordings, behavioral observations, underwater photography and video, 
and harassment of marine mammals during vessel surveys in the Monterey 
Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The objectives are to: (1) study the 
foraging strategies of killer whales (transient and offshore) within 
the sanctuary and (2) investigate the abundance, distribution, 
movement, and frequency of occurrence of cetaceans in the sanctuary, 
specifically the interaction of mixed species groups. In regards to 
killer whales, Ms. Stap plans to investigate: (1) Foraging 
vocalizations, (2) topographical influence on foraging strategies, and 
(3) idiosyncratic prey preferences of subgroups. The LOC expires on 
June 15, 2016.
    File No. 16299: Issued to Ann Weaver, Ph.D., Argosy University, 
Sarasota, FL on June 3, 2011 authorizes vessel surveys, photo-
identification and behavioral observations of bottlenose dolphins near 
John's Pass on the west coast of Florida. The objective is to complete 
a study begun in 2005 that is designed to examine the before, during, 
and after affects of bridge construction on the abundance, 
distribution, and behavior of dolphins. Construction was delayed, so 
Dr. Weaver has not yet collected data for the after phase of her 
project. The LOC expires on June 15, 2016.
    File No. 13427: Issued to Gregory D. Kaufman, Pacific Whale 
Foundation, Wailuku, HI on July 26, 2011 authorizes an amendment to LOC 
No. 13427-02 to expand the survey area to include inshore waters (<100 
fathoms) of Maui County, Hawaii and to include vessel surveys, photo 
identification, focal follows, and passive acoustic recording of 
spinner dolphins. The objective of the additional research is to gather 
information on the movement patterns and acoustic behavior of spinner 
dolphins (Stenella longirostris) in the waters of Maui County, Hawaii 
and will test for differences in the peak time of resting between 
locations and differences in patterns due to the presence and absence 
of boats. This amended GA LOC supercedes version 13427-02, issued on 
November 24, 2010. The LOC expires on June 15, 2013.
    File No. 16522: Issued to Wendy Noke Durden, Hubbs-SeaWorld 
Research Institute, Melbourne Beach, FL on September 7, 2011 authorizes 
vessel surveys, aerial surveys, photo-identification, and behavioral 
observations off the east coast of Florida from the northernmost limits 
of Flagler County to Jupiter Inlet, which includes the Intracoastal 
Waterway (ICW), Indian River Lagoon (IRL), and Halifax Rivers. The 
purposes of the study are to: (1) Continue monitoring IRL bottlenose 
dolphin abundance and distribution using line-transect aerial surveys, 
(2) examine dolphin abundance, distribution, residency, and habitat use 
of Halifax River animals, (3) determine group size and composition 
inhabiting the ICW, (4) document seasonal movement patterns, (5) 
simultaneously monitor the direct access point for influx/efflux (Ponce 
Inlet) of dolphins to/from the Atlantic ocean, and (6) evaluate 
dispersal in IRL dolphins. The LOC expires on September 30, 2016.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the 
activities are categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare 
an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.

    Dated: December 15, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-32689 Filed 12-20-11; 8:45 am]
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