[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75050-75051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-25936]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 in 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 December 24, 2020. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of 
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at 
the above address, 703-292-8030, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 45 CFR 671), 
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

Permit Application: 2021-006

1. Applicant: Ari S. Friedlaender, Institute for Marine Sciences, UC 
Santa Cruz, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95003

    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Waste Management. The 
applicant would conduct research around the Antarctic Peninsula to 
determine the ecological role of baleen whales. Sensor tags would be 
used to collect data on the underwater movement and behavior of the 
whales. Over time, the applicant would be able to determine how changes 
in the whales' behavior correspond to changes in sea ice, krill, and 
other critical aspects of the Antarctic marine ecosystem that are at 
risk from rapidly changing climates. The applicant would collect skin 
and blubber biopsy samples to gain a better understanding of the 
identity, population structure, and health of the whales. The applicant 
would operate unoccupied/remotely piloted aircraft systems (UAS, RPAS) 
to collect photographs of individual whales for health assessment 
purposes. The applicant would collaborate with Antarctic tour operators 
that would provide platforms to the applicant's research team in order 
to gather data during time periods that are undersampled. The applicant 
is seeking a waste permit to cover any accidental releases that may 
occur if the biopsy darts, tags, and/or remotely piloted aircraft are 
lost. The research teams would be comprised of experienced researchers 
and UAS/RPAS pilots. By employing personnel such as this, the applicant 
would minimize the risk of

[[Page 75051]]

generating waste and losing any equipment due to human error. The 
applicant would also conduct activities under conditions (weather, sea 
state, etc.) allowing the applicant and team to maintain visual contact 
with instrumentation and equipment as well as aid in retrieval as 
needed.
    Multi-sensor, suction cup tags would be attached to whales. When 
they are shed, they float and are retrieved using radio telemetry 
tracking tools. While tag failure is rare, a lost tag would constitute 
waste in the form of 300 grams of syntactic foam, 100 grams of 
electronics and 20 grams of silicon suction cups. Biopsy sampling is 
done with a crossbow firing a floating dart, made of aluminum and 
carbon fiber, that bounces off the whale's body after extracting a tiny 
plug of tissue. The biopsy bolt tips are a 40 mm stainless steel barrel 
and the bolts also contain a 5x2cm foam float that is used to aid in 
dart retrieval. The bolts are highly visible and remain at the surface 
for retrieval. An observer would maintain visual contact with the bolt 
until retrieval. The successful retrieval rate is very high (only 3 
bolts lost in over 500 sampling events). The UAS/RPAS would be operated 
by experienced pilots according to protocols designed to ensure safe 
operations and to minimize the risk of loss. The commercial, off-the-
shelf aircraft are powered by lithium polymer batteries and do not 
require any fuels. Loss of aircraft would result in a minor amount of 
plastic and metal waste from the frame and camera as well as non-toxic 
(no lead or cadmium) lithium polymer batteries.
    Location: Antarctic Peninsula region.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: December 25, 2020-November 30, 2024.

Erika N. Davis,
Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2020-25936 Filed 11-23-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P