[Federal Register: September 10, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 174)]
[Notices]
[Page 51621]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10se07-24]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC38
Marine Mammals; File No. 1034-1854
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for amendment.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Markus Horning, Department of
Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science
Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365, has requested
an amendment to scientific research Permit No. 1034-1854.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail comments must be received on or
before October 10, 2007
ADDRESSES: The amendment request and related documents are available
for review upon written request or by appointment in the following
office(s):
Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD
20910; phone (301)713-2289; fax (301)427-2521; and
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long
Beach, CA 90802-4213; phone (562)980-4001; fax (562)980-4018.
Written comments or requests for a public hearing on this request
should be submitted to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West
Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those individuals
requesting a hearing should set forth the specific reasons why a
hearing on this particular amendment request would be appropriate.
Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301)427-2521,
provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and
postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period.
Comments may also be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for
providing e-mail comments is NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier:
File No. 1034-1854.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Sloan or Tammy Adams, (301)713-
2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject amendment to Permit No. 1034-
1854, issued on September 18, 2006 (71 FR 56110) is requested under the
authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking and
importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
Permit No. 1034-1854 authorizes the permit holder to conduct
research on Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) to compare oxygen
handling, body condition, muscle physiology, and foraging behavior in
young adults and old adults. A total of 48 animals may have the
following procedures performed: capture, sedation; morphometrics;
ultrasound; blood and muscle samples taken; administration of Evans
blue dye and deuterium oxide; external and internal data recorders
deployed; release; recapture to add device to manipulate energy
expenditure; and recapture to remove instruments. Up to 250 animals
seals may be incidentally harassed during these activities. The permit
expires on September 30, 2011.
The permit holder requests authorization to (1) increase the number
of sequential blood samples from animals with Evans blue dye
administered from three to five samples for accurate plasma volume
determinations; (2) leave the satellite data transmitters on adult
females until they fall off no later than the annual molt, rather than
removing them at the end of the field season, for the purpose of
recording more dives and increasing the power of age group dive
behavior comparisons; and (3) opportunistically attach satellite
transmitters to selected adult females older than 21 years when first
encountered, for subsequent recapture, sampling, and outfitting with
remaining telemetry devices. The permit holder requests pre-tagging
older females because of the difficulty in encountering adult, non-
pregnant and non-lactating females older than 21 years. Such tagged
females could be tracked and captured to be fully included in the
experiments when all sampling equipment was in place. No changes to the
number of animals permitted, or handling durations during procedures,
are proposed. The permit holder also proposes to collect opportunistic
fecal samples and import them into the U.S. for fecal corticosterone
analysis to determine individual animal stress levels.
Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal
Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of this application to the Marine
Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors.
Dated: September 4, 2007.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7-17776 Filed 9-7-07; 8:45 am]
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