[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43589-43590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15776]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE400


Endangered Species; File Nos. 17304, 18238, 18926, 19496, 19528, 
19621, 19637, and 19716

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 seven permits and one permit 
modification have been issued permits to take green (Chelonia mydas), 
hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys 
kempii), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead (Caretta 
caretta) and/or olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles for 
purposes of scientific research. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
additional information regarding permittees.

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: Notices were published in the Federal 
Register that a request for a scientific research permit to take sea 
turtles had been submitted by the below-named individuals or 
organizations as follows:

 File No. 17304-02: October 5, 2015 (80 FR 60129)
 File No. 18238: July 29, 2015 (80 FR 45203)
 File Nos. 18926 and 19528: September 14, 2015 (80 FR 55095)
 File No. 19496: January 13, 2016 (81 FR 1621)
 File No. 19621: October 5, 2015 (80 FR 60123)

[[Page 43590]]

 File No. 19637: January 19, 2016 (81 FR 2846)
 File No. 19716: January 6, 2016 (81 FR 462)
The requested permits have 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). 
The following summarizes each permit.

    Permit No. 17304 issued to Dr. Kristen Hart [U.S. Geological 
Survey, 3205 College Ave., Davie, FL 33314] authorizes researchers to 
capture green, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and hawksbill sea turtles 
annually by hand or net in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Alternative to 
direct capture, researchers may obtain sea turtles for study that are 
legally captured during relocation trawling for the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers. Researchers may examine, biologically sample, tag, and 
measure sea turtles before release and temporarily track satellite 
tagged animals after release. Dr. Hart has been issued a permit 
modification (Permit No. 17304-02) to (1) add trawling as a capture 
method, and (2) increase the number of Kemp's ridley and loggerhead sea 
turtles that may be taken annually. The permit expires on September 30, 
2018.
    The NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), [File No. 
18238; 8901 La Jolla Shore Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037, (Responsible Party: 
Lisa Ballance, Ph.D.)] has been issued a five-year permit to conduct 
research on green, loggerhead, olive ridley sea turtles in southern 
California waters. Researchers may conduct vessel surveys for counts, 
captures, examination, observation, marking, biological sampling, 
tagging, and morphometrics.
    Jane Provancha [File No. 18926; Mail Code: IHA-005 OHF, Room 1104, 
Kennedy Space Center, FL 32815] has been issued a five-year permit to 
continue monitoring the abundance and distribution of sea turtles 
inhabiting the waters of the northern Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito 
Lagoon system, Florida. Researchers may capture by hand, tangle, or dip 
net green, Kemp's ridley, hawksbill, and loggerhead sea turtles for 
morphometric measures, tagging, and/or biological sampling before 
release.
    Dr. Mariana Fuentes [File No. 19496; Florida State University, 581 
Oakland Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32301] has been issued a five-year 
permit to conduct year-round field activities in the Florida Big Bend 
Region to take 1,225 sea turtles annually during vessel surveys for 
count and capture up to 480 sea turtles by hand, dip net or strike net. 
The following procedures will be performed before release: Measure; 
weigh; blood, scute, and biopsy sampling; temporary carapace marking; 
tag; satellite tagging; and/or photography/videography.
    Michael Bresette [File No. 19528; Inwater Research Group Inc., 4160 
NE. Hyline Dr., Jensen Beach, FL 34957] has been issued a five-year 
permit to study sea turtles in waters of the Indian River and Miami-
Dade Counties in southeastern Florida. Researchers may count and 
identify green, loggerhead, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, and leatherback 
sea turtles during vessel surveys and capture animals by hand or net. 
Captured animals may be examined, measured, tagged, marked, 
photographed, and biologically sampled before release.
    Dr. Michael Arendt [Permit No. 19621; South Carolina Department of 
Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division, 217 Fort Johnson Road, 
Charleston, SC 29412] has been issued a five-year permit to study 
green, Kemp's ridley, leatherback, and loggerhead sea turtles in the 
waters of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Researchers may capture 
animals by trawl or tangle net and perform the following procedures 
before release: Morphometrics, tagging, photography, biological 
sampling, ultrasound, marking, laparoscopy and associated transport, 
and/or epibiota removal. A limited number of sea turtles may 
accidentally die due to capture over the life of the permit.
    Dr. Allen Foley [File No. 19637; Florida Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 370 Zoo 
Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218] has been issued a five-year permit to 
conduct research within the boundaries of the Everglades NP in the 
vicinity of Arsnicker, Rabbit, and Twin Keys. The research will be from 
May to August and the applicant will approach and count up to 100 green 
sea turtles annually during vessel surveys and capture up to 125 
loggerheads, 10 Kemp's ridleys, and 5 hawksbills. Sea turtles will be 
captured by hand and the following procedures will be performed before 
release: Measure, photograph, weigh, tag, temporary carapace marking, 
and blood sample. Up to 10 loggerheads also would have tumors tissue 
sampled annually.
    Dr. Robert Hardy [File No. 19716; 100 8th Avenue Southeast Florida 
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish & Wildlife Research 
Institute, St. Petersburg, FL 33701] has been issued a five-year permit 
to conduct research in the surface-pelagic drift communities of the 
Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. The applicant will conduct vessel 
capture by dip net up to 300 loggerhead, 200 green, 60 hawksbill, 130 
Kemp's ridley and 10 leatherback sea turtles annually. Additionally, 
150 loggerheads and 440 leatherbacks would be counted during vessel 
surveys but not for capture. Depending on life stage and size, sea 
turtles would have the following procedures performed prior to release: 
Measure, weigh, oral swab, esophageal lavage, skin and scute biopsy, 
tag, and/or epoxy attachment of a satellite or VHF transmitter. Voided 
fecal samples also would be collected opportunistically.
    Issuance of the permits, as required by the ESA, was based on a 
finding that each 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: June 28, 2016.
Julia Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-15776 Filed 7-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P