[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51642-51644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7256]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received under the Antarctic

[[Page 51643]]

Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish 
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 at Title 45 Part 670 
of 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 29, 2006. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Polly A. Penhale at the above 
address or (703) 292-7405.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-541), 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 requiring special protection. The regulations 
establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic Specially 
Protected Areas.
    The applications received are as follows:
    1. Applicant: Permit Application No. 2007-001, Olav T. Oftedal, 
Department of Conservation Biology, Smithsonian Institution, National 
Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20008.

Activity for Which Permit is Requested

    Take, and import into the U.S.A. The applicant plans to capture and 
collect samples from up to 120 Weddell seal mother-pup pairs and up to 
180 lactating mother-juvenile pairs. The samples will help determine 
the importance of food intake to lactating Weddell seals and their 
young during the lactation period. They will measure: (a) Energy 
expenditure of lactating females, (b) the amount and composition of 
milk consumed by nursing pups, (c) growth of pups, and (d) onset and 
prevalence of feeding in mothers and pups, and (e) amount of energy 
that lactating females derive from food intake.

Location

    McMurdo Sound vicinity.

Dates

    September 1, 2006 to February 1, 2009.
    2. Applicant: Permit Application No. 2007-004, Gretchen E. Hofmann, 
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of 
California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Introduce non-indigenous species into Antarctica. The applicant 
proposes to bring up to 10 black cod (Notothenia angustata) for use in 
experiments in Crary Lab at McMurdo Station. The fish from temperate 
waters will be exposed to the subzero conditions of Antarctic coastal 
waters. The responses of the New Zealand fish will be assessed using 
genomics techniques, and these results will be compared to the 
Antarctic species. The New Zealand fish are thought to have initially 
evolved in the Antarctic and then migrated to more temperate water. 
These experiments will more carefully test this supposition. The New 
Zealand fish will not be released into Antarctic waters.

Location

    The Crary Science and Engineering Center, McMurdo Station, 
Antarctica.

Dates

    October 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006.
    3. Applicant: Permit Application No. 2007-006, Paul J. Ponganis, 
Center for Marine Biotechnology/Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of 
Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-
0204.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Take and Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area. The applicant 
proposes to capture up to 80 adult Emperors, up to 20 Emperor chicks, 
and 10 adult Adelie penguins. Blood and muscle tissue samples will be 
collected and depth recorders will be attached. The samples collected 
will help to understand how Emperors dive so long and avoid 
complications such as shallow water black out and accumulation of 
metabolic byproducts such as lactate. In addition, the applicant will 
conduct censuses of the Emperor colonies at Cape Crozier (ASPA 
<greek-i>124), Beaufort Island (ASPA <greek-i>105), Cape Washington, 
Franklin Island and Coulman Island. The applicant also proposes to 
salvage up to 10 Emperor carcasses each year for anatomical studies.

Location

    McMurdo Sound sea ice, Cape Washington, Franklin Island, Coulman 
Island, Cape Crozier (ASPA <greek-i>124), and Beaufort Island (ASPA 
<greek-i>105).

Dates

    September 1, 2006 to January 31, 2009.
    4. Applicant: Permit Application No. 2007-007, Markus Horning, 
Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, 
OR 97365.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Take and Import into the United States. The applicant proposes to 
capture up to 48 Weddell seals to be weighed, blood and muscle tissue 
samples taken and VHF transmitters attached. The samples collected will 
be returned to the U.S. for analysis to determine the small-scale, 
immediate and obvious effects of aging on the diving capacity and 
exercise capability of adult Weddell seals.

Location

    McMurdo Sound sea ice.

Dates

    October 1, 2006 to January 31, 2008.
    5. Applicant: Permit Application No. 2007-008, Walker O. Smith, 
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, P.O. Box 1346, 1208 Greate Road, 
Gloucester Point, VA 23062.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Introduce non-indigenous species into Antarctica. The application 
proposed to bring 2 flasks each of phytoplankton (Phaeocystis 
Antarctica, Pseudo-nitzschia sp. and Fragilariopsis cylindus) for use 
in experiments during a cruise on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer. These 
cultures are originally from Antarctica and have not been genetically 
modified. The applicant will study the physiological response of these 
native species to controlled environmental factors with onboard 
incubation. It is necessary to use these samples because the occurrence 
of these species in unpredictable in the Ross Sea and there is limited 
time on the cruise to perform the experiments.

Location

    Ross Sea.

Dates

    October 20, 2006 to December 25, 2006.
    6. Applicant: Permit Application No. 207-011, Mark Buckley, Senior 
Manager

[[Page 51644]]

Multimedia, Raytheon Polar Service Company, 7400 S. Tucson Way, 
Centennial, CO 80112.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. The RPSC Multimedia team 
is often tasked with taking video and still footage of scientific 
activities and general scenery. Request for such coverage is expected 
to increase during the International Polar Year. The applicant requests 
to enter the Antarctic Specially Protected Areas in the McMurdo Sound/
Ross Sea region when tasked to film scientific activities occurring at 
any of the sites. Access to the sites will be limited to due to 
operational and scientific constraints.

Location

    Sabrina Island (ASPA 104), Beaufort Island (ASPA 105), Cape Hallett 
(ASPA 106). Cape Bird (ASPA 116), Mt. Melbourne (ASPA 118), Cape Royds 
(ASPA 121), Arrival Heights (ASPA 122), Barwick Valley (ASPA 123), Cape 
Crozier (ASPA 124), Tramway Ridge (ASPA 130), Canada Glacier (ASPA 
131), Northwest White Island (ASPA 137), Linneaus Terrace (ASPA 138), 
Botany Bay (ASPA 154), Cape Evans (ASPA 155), Lewis Bay (ASPA 156), 
Backdoor Bay (ASPA 157), Hut Point (ASPA 158), Cape Adare (ASPA 150), 
Terra Nova Bay (ASPA 161).

Dates

    October 1, 2006 to February 14, 2009.

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 06-7256 Filed 8-29-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M