[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63440-63441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25235]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


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

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 November 24, 2014. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Li Ling Hamady, ACA Permit Officer, at 
the above address or [email protected] or (703) 292-7149.

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.

Application Details

    1. Applicant: Dr. Ari Friedlaender, Permit Application: 2015-011, 
2030 Marine Science Drive, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State 
University, Newport, OR 97365.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Import into USA. The 
applicants propose to satellite tag and collect skin and blubber biopsy 
samples of minke, humpback and Arnoux's beaked whales. The applicants 
would address the following basic hypotheses that require collecting of 
genetic and blubber samples from biopsies. They will investigate the 
stock structure of whales that inhabit the nearshore waters of the AP 
which requires genetic information contained in skin samples. These 
samples can be processed and compared against voucher samples from 
breeding populations in the Pacific Ocean to determine the population 
structure of animals feeding in Antarctic waters. Likewise, the sex of 
individual whales can be determined from genetic markers from the skin 
samples. Knowing the ratios of males: females can provide information 
about the growth and structure of the cetacean communities. In order to 
understand the diet of different marine mammals and if/how these change 
spatially or over the course of a season, they can compare the stable 
isotope signatures in blubber to those of their known prey items. This

[[Page 63441]]

common analysis is potent and can greatly inform studies on the feeding 
behavior of whales in the region. The applicants would use standard 
dart-biopsy methods that have been used for more than 2 decades and are 
proven to be both humane and appropriate. A small sterilized stainless 
steel tip would be attached to the end of a customized crossbow bolt 
that has a flotation stopper engineered on to it. When the dart hits 
the whale, it penetrates the outermost skin and collects a ~10x5 mm 
sample of both skin and blubber. These samples are placed in sterilized 
cryovials and kept in -20 [deg]C freezers until they are shipped frozen 
back to the labs for analysis. For satellite tagging, they are testing 
specific hypotheses regarding how the movement and behavior of humpback 
whales relates to that of their prey, Antarctic krill, and sea ice in 
the Antarctic environment. Satellite-transmitting tags offer the 
opportunity to track the movement of individual whales over long time 
periods and in relation to physical processes in their environment. 
They will deploy 10 satellite-linked implantable tags, designed to a 
maximum of 290mm into the back of the whale (generally just forward and 
to the left or right side of the dorsal fin). The tag is designed to 
penetrate just beneath the skin and hypodermis to anchor the tag. All 
external components of the tag are built from stainless steel and the 
tag is surgically sterilized prior to deployment. Each tag is deployed 
with the use of a compressed air gun. Once deployed, each tag turns on 
during the subsequent dive of the whale. Tags will then transmit upon 
each initial surfacing, and each 30 seconds of subsequent `dry time' 
until the tag falls off the whale, malfunctions or the single AA 
lithium battery is exhausted. Investigators with significant experience 
in these methods would conduct both biopsy and satellite tagging.
    Location: Antarctic Peninsula between Marguerite Bay and the 
Gerlache Strait, inshore waters.
    Dates: January 1, 2015-December 31, 2018.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-25235 Filed 10-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P