[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 53452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13965]


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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.

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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 July 26, 2024. 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 or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Titmus, ACA Permit Officer, at 
the above address, 703-292-4479.

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 as requiring special protection. 
The regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas.

Application Details

Permit Application: 2025-003

1. Applicant: Birgitte McDonald, Moss Landing Marine Labs, 8272 Moss 
Landing Rd. Moss landing, CA 95039

    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, 
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area, Import to USA. The applicant 
requests authorization to enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area 
(ASPA) No. 124, Cape Crozier, to conduct physiological and ecological 
studies on emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri). The two-part 
project aims to address fundamental information gaps about the foraging 
ecology and habitat use of emperor penguins at two stages of their life 
history. The applicant proposes capturing up to 35 adult breeding 
emperor penguins as they depart colonies to forage. Penguins will be 
captured over 100 m away from the colony to minimize disturbance to the 
colony. Captured penguins will undergo morphological and physiological 
sampling, including blood, feathers, and guano, and will be fitted with 
instrumentation used for collecting foraging data. Up to five penguins 
will also be fitted with a video data logger. Up to 12 penguins would 
be measured for field metabolic rate using injected sterile doubly 
labeled water requiring the penguins to be corralled for up to 3.5 
hours. Previous experience has show the penguins remain calm during 
this period. After penguins return from a foraging trip (~1-3 weeks), 
the would be recaptured, weighted, measured, and a blood sample 
collected. An additional 200 guano samples would be collected from 
penguins at the colony by collecting fresh guano from clean ice or snow 
at the periphery of the colony.
    Location: ASPA 124--Cape Crozier, Ross Island.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: 1 October 2024-31 May 2025.

Kimiko S. Bowens-Knox,
Program Analyst, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2024-13965 Filed 6-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P