[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 150 (Monday, August 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 63446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17206]


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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 September 4, 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 670), 
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: 2025-010

1. Applicant: Daniel Costa, 130 MacAlister Way, University of 
California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference, 
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area, Import into USA, Export from 
USA. The applicant seeks an ACA permit in association with research on 
the foraging ecology of Weddell seals. The applicant would capture, 
weigh, measure, sample, and tag up to 25 adult Weddell seals. 
Additionally, up to 10 Crabeater seal adults, up to 5 Ross seal adults, 
up to 5 Leopard seal adults, and up to 5 Elephant seal adults would be 
captured, weighed, measured, sampled, and tagged. Seals would be 
chemically immobilized using sedatives including telazol, ketamine-
diazepam, ketamine-midazolam, and butorphanol-midazolam during 
handling. This approach has been used during previous work in the Ross 
Sea, and is currently permitted under a NMFS Marine Mammal permit valid 
until November 30, 2026. Samples taken would include whiskers, blood, 
muscle and blubber biopsies. Seals would be flipper tagged and 
instrumented with a satellite data logger, total handling time would be 
under 1 hour per animal. Work would be conducted in ASPA 124--Cape 
Crozier, as well as ASPA 105--Beaufort Island, ASPA 116--New College 
Valley, ASPA 121--Cape Royds, ASPA 155--Cape Evans, and ASPA 157--
Backdoor Bay.
    Location: ASPA 105--Beaufort Island, McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea; ASPA 
116--New College Valley, Caughley Beach, Cape Bird, Ross Island; ASPA 
121--Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 124--Cape Crozier, Ross Island; ASPA 
155--Cape Evans, Ross Island; ASPA 157--Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross 
Island.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: October 1, 2024-September 30, 2024.

Kimiko S. Bowens-Knox,
Program Analyst, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2024-17206 Filed 8-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P