[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 23 (Friday, February 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 5493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2491]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA978


Southwest Fisheries Science Center; Public Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: A methods review of the Collaborative Optically-assisted 
Acoustic Survey Technique (COAST) by the Center for Independent Experts 
(CIE) and the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) and will be 
held February 15-17, 2012, that is open to the public.

DATES: The methods review of the COAST process will be held beginning 
at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 15, 2012, and end at 5:30 p.m. or as 
necessary to complete business for the day. The panel will reconvene on 
Thursday, February 16, 2012, and will continue through Friday, February 
17, 2012, beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. each day, or as 
necessary to complete business.

ADDRESSES: The COAST methods review will be held at the Southwest 
Fisheries Science Center; Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 3333 
North Torrey Pines Court, La Jolla, CA 92037-1023; (858) 546-7000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Mr. Dale Sweetnam, NMFS Southwest 
Fisheries Science Center; telephone: (858) 546-7170.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The COAST uses high-precision acoustic 
sampling to efficiently map the distributions of rockfishes on large 
scales and to direct the optical sampling. The COAST also uses accurate 
optical sampling to provide estimates of species composition and their 
length distributions. Thus, the COAST combines information from 
acoustic and optical sampling to obtain relatively precise and accurate 
estimates of the distributions and abundances of rockfishes, by 
species. The COAST was developed by the NOAA/NMFS Southwest Fisheries 
Science Center, Advanced Sampling Technology Program, and the 
Sportfishing Association of California. It may also have broad appeal 
to fisheries managers and researchers as a tool for ecosystem-based 
management as well as evaluating the performance of marine protected 
areas.

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Mr. Dale Sweetnam (858) 546-7170 at least five 
days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: January 31, 2012.
Steven Thur,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-2491 Filed 2-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P