[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64481-64482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-25458]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC371


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 six 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.

[[Page 64482]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Protected Resources, Permits 
and Conservation 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 
2013.
    File No. 17235: Issued to the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science 
Center, Virginia Beach, VA on November 21, 2012, authorizes close 
approach, photo-identification, video, behavioral observations, and 
passive acoustic recordings of 17 cetacean species and 4 pinniped 
species in inland and offshore waters of Maryland, Virginia, and North 
Carolina. The focus species is bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) 
and the primary study area is off Virginia Beach. Objectives for the 
bottlenose dolphin project are to: (1) Collect and maintain a long-term 
record of bottlenose dolphins in coastal waters of Virginia and (2) 
provide data to the Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Catalog to test the 
hypothesized stock structure for this species. Other objectives include 
to: (1) Collect distribution, group size, and photo-id data on 
cetaceans and pinnipeds in the larger study area and (2) identify and 
monitor pinniped haul out sites in Virginia and North Carolina and to 
track the abundance and residency of individual seals. The LOC expires 
on November 30, 2017.
    File No. 17418: Issued to James Ha, Ph.D., University of 
Washington, Seattle, WA on February 19, 2013, authorizes close 
approach, photo-identification, behavioral observations, and focal 
follows of bottlenose dolphins in the Middle Keys, Florida. 
Specifically, the study area ranges from Lignumvitae Key to the 
northeast shore of Big Pine Key and includes bay and ocean waters out 
to two miles. Objectives are to: (1) Begin an in-depth population 
demographic study of bottlenose dolphins in the area and (2) identify 
foraging strategies and determine what percentage of resident dolphins 
is influenced by anthropogenic sources of food. The LOC was originally 
supposed to expire on February 28, 2018. However, on July 25, 2013, Dr. 
Ha requested that his LOC be terminated with an immediate effective 
date, so LOC No. 17418 is no longer valid.
    File No. 17988: Issued to Jessica Weiss Taylor of the Outer Banks 
Center for Dolphin Research, Kill Devil Hills, NC, on April 5, 2013, 
for research activities including vessel surveys, close approach, 
photo-identification, and behavioral observations, including focal 
follows of bottlenose dolphins in waters of North Carolina. 
Specifically the study area comprises the Roanoke, Croatan, Currituck, 
Albemarle, and Pamlico Sounds and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean to a 
maximum distance of 5 miles offshore. Objectives are to: (1) 
Investigate patterns of seasonal and year-round residency in the 
northern Outer Banks; (2) estimate local abundances of dolphins in the 
northern Outer Banks seasonally and year-round; (3) identify and 
characterize any biological and/or ecological stressors on bottlenose 
dolphins in the northern Outer Banks; (4) describe the social structure 
of bottlenose dolphin populations in the northern Outer Banks through 
examination of social networks and male pair bonds; and (5) promote 
awareness of bottlenose dolphin conservation throughout the local and 
visiting community. The LOC expires on April 15, 2018.
    File No. 13427: Originally issued to the Pacific Whale Foundation 
[Responsible Party: Gregory D. Kaufman], Wailuku, HI, on June 4, 2008, 
authorizes the close vessel approach, photo-identification, focal 
follows, and acoustic recordings of 16 cetacean species within the 
waters of Maui County, Hawaii to estimate the abundance and 
distribution of odontocete species in the area. This study was modified 
on June 11, 2013, to extend the duration of the LOC until June 15, 
2014, add a Co-investigator, and remove authorization to take the 
endangered Hawaiian insular stock of false killer whales (Pseudorca 
crassidens). This LOC was cancelled on June 20, 2013, when a new LOC 
(File No. 18101) was issued to the Pacific Whale Foundation.
    File No. 18101: Issued to the Pacific Whale Foundation [Responsible 
Party: Gregory D. Kaufman], Wailuku, HI, on June 20, 2013, authorizes 
close vessel approaches, photo-identification, focal follows, and 
acoustic recordings of 15 cetacean species within the waters of Maui 
County, Hawaii to estimate the abundance and distribution of odontocete 
species in the area. The LOC replaces No. 13427 and expires on June 21, 
2018.
    File No. 18152: Issued to Barbara Brunnick, Ph.D., Jupiter, FL, on 
September 11, 2013, for research activities including vessel surveys, 
close approach, photo-identification, and behavioral observations of 
bottlenose dolphins. The research objective is to continue developing a 
photo-identification catalog and database to address questions 
regarding the local abundance, population ecology, life history, 
habitat utilization, social structure, habitat health, and residency 
patterns of Atlantic spotted (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose 
dolphins. If other dolphin and whale species are encountered, the 
applicant may collect information on them. This LOC replaces File No. 
13386 and expires on September 10, 2018.
    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: October 23, 2013.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-25458 Filed 10-28-13; 8:45 am]
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