[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8060-8061]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03017]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD711


Marine Mammals; File No. 18881

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 the Texas Sealife Center, 14220 
South Padre Island Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78418, [Responsible Party: 
Tim Tristan], has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research 
on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or 
before March 16, 2015.

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. 18881 from the list of available applications.
    These documents are also available upon written request or by 
appointment in the 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.
    Written comments on this application should be submitted to the 
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, at the address listed above. 
Comments may

[[Page 8061]]

also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 713-0376, or by email to 
[email protected]. Please include the File No. in the subject 
line of the email comment.
    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: Amy Hapeman or Howard Goldstein; 
phone: (301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the 
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended 
(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and the regulations governing the taking 
and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
    The applicant requests a five-year permit to conduct research on 
bottlenose dolphins in the bay, sound, estuary and near-shore coastal 
waters of Texas in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of the 
research is to: (1) Develop and maintain standardized photo-
identification catalogs; (2) characterize fine-scale population 
structure and dynamics; (3) estimate abundance for strategic stocks; 
(4) establish baseline patterns of distribution, habitat use, site-
fidelity, diet, and contaminant loads; (5) analyze dolphin behavior in 
relation to anthropogenic activities; and (6) identify potential risks 
to the population. Proposed methods include vessel surveys for 
photographic identification, focal follows, behavioral observation, and 
biopsy sampling.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that 
the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to 
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
    Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the application to the Marine 
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.

    Dated: February 6, 2015.
Perry F. Gayaldo,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-03017 Filed 2-12-15; 8:45 am]
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