[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18526-18527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07378]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC632
Marine Mammals; File No. 14809
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that a permit has been issued to
Douglas Nowacek, Ph.D., Duke University--Marine Laboratory, 135 Duke
Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC 28516, to conduct research on 34 cetacean
species for scientific research.
ADDRESSES: The permit and related documents are available for review
upon written request or by appointment in the following offices: See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Hapeman or Courtney Smith, (301)
427-8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 23, 2013, notice was published in
the Federal Register (78 FR 23908) that a request for a permit to
conduct research on 34 cetacean species, including three endangered
species: humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), sperm (Physeter
macrocephalus), and southern right (Eubalaena australis) whales, had
been submitted by the above-named applicant. The requested permit has
been issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing
the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and
exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222-226).
Dr. Nowacek has been issued a permit to conduct comparative
research on cetaceans in the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Southern
Oceans. Authorized activities include suction cup tagging, acoustic
playbacks, passive acoustics, biopsy sampling, photo-identification,
behavioral observations, and incidental harassment during vessel
surveys. The primary research objectives are to: (1) Document baseline
foraging and social behavior of cetacean species under different
ecological conditions; (2) place these behaviors in a population-level
context; and (3) determine how these species respond to various natural
sound sources. The
[[Page 18527]]
permit is valid for five years from the date of issuance.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), a final determination has been made that the
activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to
prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
As required by the ESA, issuance of this permit was based on a
finding that such permit: (1) Was applied for in good faith; (2) will
not operate to the disadvantage of such endangered species; and (3) is
consistent with the purposes and policies set forth in section 2 of the
ESA.
Documents may be reviewed in the following locations:
Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS,
1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301) 427-8401; fax (301) 713-0376;
Alaska Region, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; phone (907)
586-7221; fax (907) 586-7249;
Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach,
CA 90802-4213; phone (562) 980-4001; fax (562) 980-4018;
Pacific Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Rm 1110, Honolulu,
HI 96814-4700; phone (808) 944-2200; fax (808) 973-2941;
Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA
01930; phone (978)281-9328; fax (978) 281-9394; and
Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL
33701; phone (727)824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.
Dated: March 27, 2014.
Tammy C. Adams,
Acting Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-07378 Filed 4-1-14; 8:45 am]
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