[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 50720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20645]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


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

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Modification Request Received under the 
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities 
regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978,, Public Law 95-
541. 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 a requested permit modification.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by September 21, 2012. 
Permit applications 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: Nadene G. Kennedy at the above address 
or (703) 292-7405.

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.
    Description of Permit Modification Requested: The Foundation issued 
a permit (2011-002) to David Ainley on May 28, 2010. The issued permit 
allows the applicant to enter Beaufort Island ASPA 105, Cape Royds ASPA 
121, and Cape Crozier ASPA 124 to band 1800 Adelie fledglings, implant 
PIT tags on 250 chick and 300 adult Adelies, and, apply TDR/satellite 
tags, weigh and blood sample 55 Adelie adults, affix, weight, then 
later remove ``fish tag'', weight and release, and mark nests as part 
of a study to determine the effect of age, experience and physiology on 
individual foraging efficiency, breeding success and survival, and 
develop a comprehensive model for the Ross-Beaufort island 
metapopulations incorporating all the factors investigated. A recent 
modification to this permit, dated August 1, 2012, permitted the 
applicant to: (1) Increase the number of adults from 55 to 85 for 
attaching satellite tags at Cape Crozier (ASPA 124). The additional 30 
adults will have SPLASH tags (Wildlife Computers) attached. The SPLASH 
tags record depth, light, and temperature every second and report 
positions to the ARGOS satellite a few times per day.
    (2) At Cape Royds (ASPA 121) up to 30 Adelies will have their body 
mass recorded, bill and flipper dimensions taken, 3-5 feathers removed 
to confirm gender of the penguin, and have GPS/TDR tags attached and 
later removed. The information gained from the tags will be used to 
assess the change in foraging behavior upon the arrival of whales in 
the penguin's foraging area within the leads of the McMurdo Sound fast 
ice as it breaks up. The density and horizontal/depth distribution of 
prey will be assessed using deployed ROV.
    Now the applicant proposes a modification to his permit to deploy 
an iRobot sea glider that will assess the prey field offshore of Cape 
Crozier at the same time the splash tags are deployed on the penguin to 
assess their foraging behavior and location. In part the data from the 
satellite tags will help to steer the glider to sample in and out of 
foraging ``hotspots''. The data will demonstrate the factors that 
affect individual variation in foraging capabilities.
    Location: ASPA 121--Cape Royds, and ASPA 124--Cape Crozier, Ross 
Island, and ASPA 105--Beaufort Island, Ross Sea.
    Dates: September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2015.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-20645 Filed 8-21-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P