[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 234 (Wednesday, December 5, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 72326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29323]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC372


Endangered Species; File No. 17381

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 Kristen Hart, Ph.D., United States 
Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center, 3205 College 
Avenue, Davie, FL 33314, has applied in due form for a permit to take 
green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill 
(Eretmochelys imbricata), and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea 
turtles for the purposes of scientific research.

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or emailed comments must be received on or 
before January 4, 2013.

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, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 17183 
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; 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 and Conservation Division
     By email to [email protected] (include the File 
No. in the subject line of the email),
     By facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or
     At the address listed above.
    Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a 
written request to the Chief, Permits and Conservation 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: Colette Cairns or Amy Hapeman, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of 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 
222-226).
    The applicant requests a 5-year permit to continue long-term 
research on the demographics and movements of green, loggerhead, 
hawksbill, and Kemp's ridley sea turtles in Florida waters. This 
research would take place in and around the Dry Tortugas National Park, 
and in the coastal waters off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. The 
objectives of the research are to: (1) Obtain information on fine-scale 
temporal and spatial patterns of sea turtle habitat use and movement 
patterns inside and outside the National Park; (2) examine diet through 
stable isotope analysis; and (3) determine genetic distinctiveness and 
connectivity to other populations. Researchers would capture sea 
turtles by rodeo capture, cast net, tangle net, dip net or hand 
capture. Turtles would be weighed, measured, flipper tagged, passive 
integrated transponder tagged, blood sampled, tissue sampled, scute 
sampled, epibiota sampled, fecal sampled, undergo gastric lavage, 
temporarily carapace marked, photographed, and released. A subset of 
turtles would be fitted with some combination of up to three telemetry 
tags--e.g., satellite tag, acoustic transmitter, and/or 
accelerometer,--and tracked; upon recapture, these animals would have 
the tags removed.

    Dated: November 30, 2012.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-29323 Filed 12-4-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P