[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 59318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20452]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 083105B]


Endangered Species; File No. 1377

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

ACTION: Notice; issuance of permit modification.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Dr. Anton Tucker, Mote Marine 
Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, has been 
issued a modification to scientific research Permit No. 1377.

ADDRESSES: The modification 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
    Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Ave South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701; phone (727)824-5312; fax (727)824-5309.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carrie Hubard or Patrick Opay, 
(301)713-2289.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 14, 2004, notice was published in 
the Federal Register (69 FR 3568) that a modification of Permit No. 
1377, issued December 4, 2002 (67 FR 76727), had been requested by the 
above-named organization. The requested modification has been granted 
under the authority of 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 
222-226).
    Modification No. 1 to Permit No. 1377 will allow the holder to 
expand the study area to include the Florida Keys and Sarasota Bay, and 
allow the capture, flipper and PIT tagging, and collection of blood and 
tissue samples from an additional 150 juvenile and subadult green 
(Chelonia mydas), 150 juvenile and sub-adult Kemp's ridley 
(Lepidochelys kempii), 100 juvenile and sub-adult loggerhead (Caretta 
caretta), and 5 juvenile and sub-adult hawksbill (Eretmochelys 
imbricata) sea turtles. The holder will perform additional sampling 
techniques for all captured turtles including scute scraping for heavy 
metal analysis, bioelectrical impedance analysis to determine fat 
content, and laparoscopic surgery to determine sex and reproductive 
status. Gastric lavage will be conducted on green sea turtles to obtain 
dietary samples. The permit holder will utilize additional telemetry 
instruments and attachment methods, including radio tags, sonic tags, 
time depth recorders, animal-borne video, audio and environmental data 
collection systems (AVEDS), and receiver tags (e.g., bioacoustic 
probe). Instruments will be attached to a subset of turtles in 
Charlotte Harbor or Sarasota Bay, and a subset of turtles in the 
Florida Keys. The amended permit expires December 31, 2007.
    Issuance of this modification, as required by the ESA was based on 
a finding that such permit (1) was applied for in good faith, (2) will 
not operate to the disadvantage of any endangered or threatened 
species, and (3) is consistent with the purposes and policies set forth 
in section 2 of the ESA.

    Dated: October 6, 2005.
Stephen L. Leathery,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 05-20452 Filed 10-11-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S