UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT O COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

Southeast Regional Office

263 13th Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 3370 1-5505

(727) 824-5305, FAX (727) 824-5308

http: sero.nmfs.noaa.gov

F SER25:KG

MAR 2 2 2OU SERIO-022

Christopher J. MeArthur, P.E.

Ocean Dumping Coordinator

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4

61 Forsyth St. S.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Dear Mr. McArthur:

This Letter of Acknowledgement (LOA) recognizes the activities outlined in your March 9, 2010, letter as

scientific research in accordance with the definitions and guidance at 50 CFR 600.10 and 600.745. As

such, the proposed activities are not subject to fishing regulations at 50 CFR 622 or essential fish habitat

requirements at 50 CFR 600.805 et seq., developed in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act.

NOAA Fisheries Service understands you will be collecting South Atlantic-managed species in support of

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS)

identification program. Collections will be limited to the species listed in the enclosed table. These

collections will be made in sites 3-10 nm offshore ofJacksonville and Fernandina Beach, Florida, during

sampling events on March 28-April 2, 2010, and September 13-18, 2010. Sampling will be conducted in

accordance with, and complement the scientific research plan titled, “New Jacksonville ODMDS

Winter Spring Designation Survey.” During the course of this research you will be collecting no more

than 24 individuals per species/taxon, and acknowledge that many of the species may not be captured at

all. All species will be caught using an otter trawl, and will be released if it appears they will be able to

recover from capture trauma. Specimen retained will eventually be submitted to the Florida Museum of

Natural History, invertebrate or ichthyology collections.

Copies of this LOA and the scientific research plan should be onboard the Ocean Survey Vessel BOLD.

Please send a copy of any cruise report or other publications resulting from this research activity to me

and to the Director, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 75 Virginia

Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33 149-1003.

Sincerely,

i3jy E. Crabtree, Ph.D.

1egional Administrator

Enclosure

cc: F SEFSC, F/EN3, SAFMC
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council managed species to be collected under the

LOA for EPA ODMDS program, March 2010-September 2010

Common Name Scientific Name or Taxonomic Group

Sargassum Sargassumfluitans

Sargassum natans

Corals

Hydrocorals Hydrozoa

Sea Pens Pennatulacea

Sea Whips Gorgoncea

Scallops

Calico scallop Argopecten gibbus

Shrimp

Northern brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus

Northern pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum

Northern white shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus

Sea Basses

Bank sea bass Centropristis ocyurus

Black sea bass Cenropristis striata

Rock sea bass Centropristis philadeiphica

Snappers

Gray snapper Lutjanus griseus

Lane snapper Lutfanus synagris

Porgies

Longspine porgy Stenotomus caprinus

Scup Stenotomus chrysops

Sheepshead Archosargusprobatocephalus

Grunts

Tomate Haemulon aurolineaturn

White grunt Haemulon plumieri

Jacks

Blue Runner Caranx crysos

Crevalle jack Caranx hippos

Triggerfishes

Gray triggerfish Balistes capricus

Spadefishes

Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterusfaber