[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 75 (Monday, April 20, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19468-19469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10368]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 222 and 227

[I.D. 052493B]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for 
Johnson's Seagrass

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), pursuant to the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provides notice of 
reopening of the comment period on the proposed listing of Johnson's 
seagrass, Halophila johnsonii as a threatened species. The comment 
period has been reopened to provide opportunity for public comment 
since the close of the original comment period on December 14, 1993.

DATES: The public comment period, which originally closed on December 
14, 1993, now closes June 4, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for copies of the technical workshops 
proceedings and references should be sent to the Chief, Endangered 
Species Division (F/PR3), Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Brewer, F/PR3, NMFS, (301) 713-
1401, or Colleen Coogan, Southeast Region, NMFS, (813) 570-5312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 15, 1993, NMFS published a proposed rule to list 
Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species (58 FR 48326). Designation 
of critical habitat was subsequently proposed on August 4, 1994 (59 FR 
39716). A public hearing on both the proposed listing and critical 
habitat

[[Page 19469]]

designation was held in Vero Beach, Florida on September 20, 1994. This 
reopening of the comment period applies only to the proposed listing of 
Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species. The proposed designation of 
critical habitat will be addressed in a separate Federal Register 
notice and additional comments will be solicited at that time.
    Since publication of the proposed rule, additional information has 
been made available to NMFS that supplements available data on the 
status and distribution of Johnson's seagrass. This information was 
reviewed in a technical workshop held in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 
November 1996, and has been summarized in a workshop proceedings 
(Kenworthy, 1997) submitted to NMFS on October 15, 1997.
    In addition, genetic studies confirming and supporting information 
presented in the proposed rule regarding the species separation of 
Johnson's seagrass have been published (Jewitt-Smith et al., 1997); 
peer review comments on the proposed rule have been received, and a 
report summarizing several years of surveys for Johnson's seagrass 
within the Indian River Lagoon has been completed (Virnstein, et al., 
1997). A brief summary of the workshop proceedings follows:
    The workshop convened species experts and representatives of 
agencies with jurisdiction over seagrasses and their habitats to review 
existing information on the biology and ecology of Johnson's seagrass. 
Workshop attendees reviewed new genetic information supporting H. 
johnsonii as a separate species from H. decipens (recently published by 
Jewitt-Smith et al, 1977). New qualitative and quantitative benthic 
surveys and interviews with species experts also reviewed at the 
workshop, confirmed the extremely limited geographic distribution of 
Johnson's seagrass to patchy and vertically disjunct areas between 
Sebastian Inlet and northern Biscayne Bay on the east coast of Florida, 
finding no verifiable sightings outside of the range other than those 
already reported. Since additional surveys have not located any male 
flowers, nor has seedling recruitment been confirmed, the workshop 
attendees attributed the distribution and abundance of Johnson's 
seagrass to a reliance on vegetative means of reproduction and growth. 
High densities of apical meristems, rapid rates of horizontal growth, 
and a fast leaf turnover were suggested to explain the appearance and 
disappearance of Johnson's seagrass observed in disturbed areas and on 
survey transects.

Public Comments Solicited

    Due to the availability of additional information, the passage of 
time since the close of the previous comment period, and the desire to 
review the best scientific information available during the decision-
making process, the comment period for the proposed listing of 
Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species is being reopened. NMFS is 
requesting comments from the public on new or additional information on 
the distribution and status of Johnson's seagrass. All comments 
received by June 4, 1998 will be considered in NMFS final decision.

References

    Kenworthy, J.W. 1997. An updated biological status review and 
Summary of the Proceedings of a Workshop to Review the Biological 
Status of the Seagrass, Halophila johnsonii Eiseman. Final Report 
submitted to Office of Protected Species, NMFS, NOAA, Silver Spring, MD 
- October 15, 1997.
    Jewitt-Smith, J., C. McMillan, W.J. Kenworthy, and K. Bird. 1997. 
Flowering and genetic banding patterns of Halophila johnsonii and 
conspecifics. Aquatic Botany 59: 323-331.
    Virnstein, R.W., L.J. Morris, J.D. Miller, and R. Miller-Meyers. 
1997. Distribution and abundance of Halophila johnsonii in the Indian 
River Lagoon. St. John's River Water Management District, Techincal 
Memorandum # 24.

Authority

    The Authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: April 10, 1998.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-10368 Filed 4-17-98; 8:45 am]
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