[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 189 (Thursday, September 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66928-66929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23540]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE889


Nominations to the Marine Mammal Scientific Review Groups

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

ACTION: Notice; request for nominations.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the 
Secretary of Commerce established three independent regional scientific 
review groups (SRGs) to provide advice on a range of marine mammal 
science and management issues. NMFS has conducted a membership review 
of the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific SRGs, and is soliciting 
nominations for new members to fill vacancies and gaps in expertise. 
Nominees should possess demonstrable expertise in the areas specified 
in this notice, be able to conduct thorough scientific reviews of 
marine mammal science, and be able to fulfill the necessary time 
commitments associated with a thorough review of documents and to 
attend one annual meeting.

DATES: Nominations must be received by October 31, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Nominations can be emailed to [email protected], or 
mailed to: Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division, 
Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226, Attn: SRGs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Bettridge, Office of Protected 
Resources, 301-427-8402, [email protected]. Information about 
the SRGs is available at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/sars/group.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 117(d) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 
1386(d)) directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish three 
independent regional SRGs to advise the Secretary (authority delegated 
to NMFS). The Alaska SRG advises on marine mammals that occur in waters 
off Alaska that are under the jurisdiction of the United States. The 
Pacific SRG advises on marine mammals that occur in waters off the U.S. 
West Coast, Hawaiian Islands, and the U.S. Territories in the Central 
and Western Pacific that are under the jurisdiction of the United 
States. The Atlantic SRG advises on marine mammals that occur in waters 
off the Atlantic coast, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Territories in the 
Caribbean that are under the jurisdiction of the United States.
    SRGs members are highly qualified individuals with expertise in 
marine mammal biology and ecology, population dynamics and modeling, 
commercial fishing technology and practices, and stocks taken under 
section 101(b) of the MMPA. The SRGs provide expert reviews of draft 
marine mammal stock assessment reports and other information related to 
the matters identified in section 117(d)(1) of the MMPA, including:
    A. Population estimates and the population status and trends of 
marine mammal stocks;
    B. Uncertainties and research needed regarding stock separation, 
abundance, or trends, and factors affecting the distribution, size, or 
productivity of the stock;
    C. Uncertainties and research needed regarding the species, number, 
ages, gender, and reproductive status of marine mammals;
    D. Research needed to identify modifications in fishing gear and 
practices likely to reduce the incidental mortality and serious injury 
of marine mammals in commercial fishing operations;
    E. The actual, expected, or potential impacts of habitat 
destruction, including marine pollution and natural environmental 
change, on specific marine mammal species or stocks, and for strategic 
stocks, appropriate conservation or management measures to alleviate 
any such impacts; and
    F. Any other issue which the Secretary or the groups consider 
appropriate.
    SRG members collectively serve as independent advisors to NMFS and 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and provide their expert review and 
recommendations through participation in the SRG. Members attend annual 
meetings and undertake activities as independent persons providing 
expertise in their subject areas. Members are not appointed as 
representatives of professional organizations or particular stakeholder 
groups, including government entities, and are not permitted to 
represent or

[[Page 66929]]

advocate for those organizations, groups or entities during SRG 
meetings, discussions and deliberations.
    NMFS annually reviews the expertise available on the SRG and 
identify gaps in the expertise that is needed to provide advice 
pursuant to section 117(d) of the MMPA. In conducting the reviews, NMFS 
will attempt to achieve, to the maximum extent practicable, a balanced 
representation of viewpoints among the individuals on each SRG.
    For the Atlantic SRG (including waters off the Atlantic coast, Gulf 
of Mexico, and U.S. Territories in the Caribbean), NMFS seeks 
individuals with expertise in one or more of the following areas: 
Ecological statistics, with emphasis in line-transect theory, abundance 
estimation, trend analysis, and/or marine mammal bycatch estimation; 
marine mammal health; fisheries gear and technologies; and pinnipeds.
    For the Pacific SRG (including waters off the Pacific coast, 
Hawaiian Islands and the U.S. Territories in the Central and Western 
Pacific), NMFS seeks individuals with expertise in one or more of the 
following areas: Bycatch estimation; quantitative ecology, population 
dynamics, modeling, and statistics; fishing gear/techniques, 
particularly for Hawaii and Pacific Islands fisheries; genetics and/or 
other methods of identifying marine mammal population structure; 
passive acoustics; abundance estimation, especially distance sampling 
and mark-recapture methods; and southern sea otters.
    For the Alaska SRG, NMFS seeks individuals with expertise in one or 
more of the following areas: Genetics/population structure; 
quantitative ecology, modeling, and population dynamics; acoustics; 
fishing gear and practices; anthropogenic impacts; and ice-associated 
or Arctic species.
    Nominations for new members should be sent to (see ADDRESSES) and 
must be received by October 31, 2016. Nominations should be accompanied 
by the individual's curriculum vitae and detailed information regarding 
how the recommended person meets the minimum selection criteria for SRG 
members (see below), and how the recommended person would bring needed 
expertise to the group. Self-nominations are acceptable. The following 
contact information should accompany each nomination: Nominee's name, 
address, telephone number, and email address.
    When reviewing nominations, NMFS will consider the following 
criteria:
    (1) Ability to make time available for the purposes of the SRG;
    (2) Knowledge of the species (or closely related species) of marine 
mammals in the SRG's region;
    (3) Scientific or technical achievement in a relevant discipline, 
particularly the areas of expertise identified above, to be considered 
an expert peer reviewer for the topic;
    (4) Demonstrated experience working effectively on teams;
    (5) Expertise relevant to current and expected needs of the SRG, in 
particular, expertise required to provide adequate review and 
knowledgeable feedback on current or developing stock assessment 
issues, techniques, etc. In practice, this means that each member 
should have expertise in more than one topic as the species and 
scientific issues discussed in SRG meetings are diverse; and
    (6) No conflict of interest with respect to their duties as a 
member of the SRG.
    An SRG member cannot be a registered Federal lobbyist. Membership 
is voluntary, and except for reimbursable travel and related expenses, 
service is without pay. The term of service for SRG members is three 
years and members may serve up to three consecutive terms if 
reappointed.

    Dated: September 26, 2016.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-23540 Filed 9-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P