[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 35431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14282]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

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

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
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 July 13, 2012. 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 a requiring special protection. The 
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas.
    The applications received are as follows:
    1. Applicant: Robert A. Garrott, Permit Application: 2013-007, 
Ecology Department, Montana State University, 310 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, 
MT 59715.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Take, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas, and Import into 
the U.S.A. The applicant plans to study the demographic consequences of 
environmental variability and individual heterogeneity in life-history 
tactics of Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. A breeding 
population of Weddell seals, a prominent Antarctic apex predator 
associated with fast ice, has been intensively studied in Erebus Bay at 
the southern extent of the Ross Sea since 1968. The study's broad 
objective is to evaluate how temporal variation in the marine 
environment affects a long-lived mammal's population dynamics. Up to 
2,000 adult and pup Weddell seals will be approached to have their tags 
read. Smaller subsets of approximately 1,150 seals will be tagged or 
retagged, weighed, tissue sampled, and/or instrumented, then released. 
In addition, the applicant plans to salvage parts of dead animals 
encountered and remove vibrissae. The tissue samples will be collected 
from the margin of the rear flippers and will be imported into the 
U.S.A. for further study. DNA will be extracted from the samples and 
used to investigate individual heterogeneity.
    The applicant plans to enter ASPA 137-North-west White Island twice 
annually to census and tag seals in the isolated colony. They also plan 
to enter ASPA 155-Cape Evans, ASPA 157 Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, ASPA 
158-Hut Point, and ASPA 161-Terra Nova Bay should any of the study's 
seals should haul out in the those areas.

Location

    Erebus Bay, Ross Island vicinity; ASPA 137-North-west White Island; 
ASPA 155-Cape Evans; ASPA 157 Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds; ASPA 158-Hut 
Point; and ASPA 161-Terra Nova Bay.

Dates

    October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2017.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-14282 Filed 6-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P