[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1172-1173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-00293]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD853


Endangered Species; File No. 19288

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. Mark Flint, University of 
Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, 529 Ellsberry 
Road, Apollo Beach, FL 33572 has been issued a permit to take 
loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii), 
green (Chelonia mydas), and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea 
turtles for purposes of scientific research.

ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review 
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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arturo Herrera or Amy Hapeman, (301) 
427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 25, 2015, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (80 FR 15751) that a request for a scientific 
research permit to take loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, green, and hawksbill 
sea turtles had been submitted by the above-named individual. The 
requested permit has been issued 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 parts 222-226).
    Dr. Flint has been issued a five-year permit to conduct research in 
Tampa Bay, Florida to determine the distribution and health status of 
the resident population of sea turtles in the region. Up to 200 sea 
turtles annually may be counted during vessel surveys and subsequently 
hand captured and

[[Page 1173]]

have the following procedures performed: measure, weigh, flipper and 
passive integrated transponder tag, blood sample, lavage, internal and 
external biopsy sample, laparoscopy and associated transport, and/or 
ultrasound. The permit is valid until December 31, 2020.
    Issuance of this permit, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that such permit (1) was applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: January 5, 2016.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-00293 Filed 1-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P