[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 61 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13847-13851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7624]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 032296A]
Small Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities;
Haro Strait Oceanographic Experiment
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of proposed authorization for a small take exemption;
request for comments.
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SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request from Prof. Henrik Schmidt of the
Department of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (DE/
MIT), Cambridge, MA, for
[[Page 13848]]
authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals by harassment
incidental to conducting a physical oceanography experiment that uses
sound to study the flow field and mixing processes in Haro Strait,
Puget Sound, WA. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is
requesting comments on its proposal to authorize DE/MIT to incidentally
take, by harassment, small numbers of marine mammals in the above-
mentioned area between June 10, 1996, and July 5, 1996.
DATES: Comments and information must be received on or before April 29,
1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the application should be addressed to Chief,
Marine Mammal Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-
3225. A copy of the application, a list of references used in this
document, and/or a programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) may be
obtained by writing to this address or by telephoning one of the
contacts listed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Hollingshead, Office of
Protected Resources at 301-713-2055, or Brent Norberg, Northwest
Regional Office at 206-526-6733.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs
NMFS to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional,
taking of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified
activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified
geographical region if certain findings are made and regulations are
issued.
Permission may be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a
negligible impact on the species or stock(s); will not have an
unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or
stock(s) for subsistence uses; and the permissible methods of taking
and requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such
taking are set forth.
On April 30, 1994, the President signed Public Law 103-238, the
MMPA Amendments of 1994. One part of this law added a new subsection
101(a)(5)(D) to the MMPA to establish an expedited process by which
citizens of the United States can apply for an authorization to
incidentally take small numbers of marine mammals by harassment. The
MMPA defines ``harassment'' as:
* * * any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (a) has
the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in
the wild; or (b) has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or
marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral
patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing,
nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
New subsection 101(a)(5)(D) establishes a 45-day time limit for
NMFS review of an application followed by a 30-day public notice and
comment period on any proposed authorizations for the incidental
harassment of small numbers of marine mammals. Within 45 days of the
close of the comment period, NMFS must either issue or deny issuance of
the authorization. Summary of Request
On January 31, 1996, NMFS received a complete application from DE/
MIT requesting an authorization for the harassment of small numbers of
marine mammals incidental to conducting a physical oceanography
experiment that uses sound to study the flow field and mixing processes
in Haro Strait, in the San Juan Island Archipelago (Puget Sound) WA,
just south of Stuart Island (48 deg.39'00'' N, 123 deg.11'00'' W).
The experiment, which will be from June 10 through July 5, 1996,
for a total of 26 days, is scheduled to take advantage of the extreme
ebb tides that occur only twice a year. The winter alternative is
unacceptable, because weather conditions at that time of the year would
make operations extremely difficult and would make marine mammal
monitoring virtually impossible.
As described in the application, the experiment consists of three
primary components: (1) A vertical array system, which consists of 5
vertical arrays that will be permanently moored to the bottom
throughout the experiment; (2) two autonomous underwater vehicles
(AUVs), which will be deployed for about 4 hours per day during maximum
front formation. The AUVs are equipped for salinity, temperature and
pressure sensing and have sound sources for acoustic modem
communications as well as tomography sources; and (3) a set of drifters
that will move with the flow field and map current speed profiles using
Doppler-shift sonar methods. All systems will be integrated using the
Autonomous Oceanographic Sampling Network (AOSN). Additional
information on the experiment is available in the application.
Information on the sound sources to be used during this experiment are
provided in Table 1 of this notice.
Source D (the Long-Base-Line (LBL) transponder array) will be
deployed on June 10 and will be operated (along with source E) for 4
hours/day until the end of the experiment. The vertical arrays will be
deployed on June 11, and sources A, B, and C will operate daily from
June 11 until the end of the experiment. Sources F and G will be used
in conjunction with the AUVs on a few days before June 24 and will be
used daily for 4 hours after June 24. Sources H and I, which are the
Institute of Ocean Science's (IOS) side-scan sonars, will be used for 4
hours/day from June 23 until the end of the experiment on July 5, 1996.
Table 1.--List of Sound Sources To Be Used in the Haro Strait experiment\1\
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Amplitude (dB
Source Class Frequency re 1Pa) (seconds(s))
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Modems......................... A 13-18 170 2 s. 1/min.............. 5-moor............ 30
Tomography..................... B 1-2 170 1 s. 1/min.............. 5-moor............ 50
Array tracking................. C 25-30 160 0.1 s. 1/min.............. 5-moor............ 200
LBL transponders............... D 8-12 192 0.01 s. 10 sec............. 4/5 trns/ship..... 100/7
Ultra short-baseline E 18-22 184 0.001 s. 10 sec............. ship and AUV...... ...........
transponders.
LF ADCP \2\.................... F 115-125 194 0.0001 s. 5 sec.............. 1 AUV............. 50
HF ADCP \3\.................... G 295-305 194 0.0001 s. 5 sec.............. 1 AUV............. 50
IOS imaging \4\................ H 90-110 195 0.0001 0.2 sec............ 1 AUV............. 30
IOS drifter \4\................ I 90-110 195 0.0001/10s 0.2 sec............ 1 AUV............. 30
[[Page 13849]]
Low frequency tomography....... J 0.06-0.3 160 1 s. 10 sec............. ship.............. 10
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\1\ Note that some sources are produced out of more than one transducer.
\2\ Low frequency Doppler-shift current profiler.
\3\ High frequency Doppler-shift current profiler.
\4\ Side-scan Doppler-shift sonar onboard the AUVs (imaging) or the drifter.
The low-frequency tomography source (source J) will be used for 4
hours/day from June 18-June 20, 1996.
Description of Marine Mammals Affected by the Activity
The species of marine mammals that are likely to be present in the
affected area at the time of the experiment include the harbor porpoise
(Phocoena phocoena), killer whale (Orcinus orca), Dall's porpoise
(Phocoenoides dalli), and harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). Additional
species that are rare or only occasionally seen in the area at the time
of the experiment include: Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata),
elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris); Pacific white-sided dolphin
(Lagenorhynchus obliquidens), northern sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus),
California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), humpback whale (Megaptera
novaengliae), and gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). General
information on these species can be found in Barlow et al. (1995)
5. More specific information on marine mammals species in Puget
Sound waters can be found in the application, which is available upon
request (see ADDRESSES), and does not need to be repeated here.
\5\ A list of references used in this document can be obtained
by writing to the address provided above (see ADDRESSES).
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Potential Effects on Marine Mammals
The potential effects on marine mammals from sounds transmitted
into the water include harassment, temporary or permanent hearing loss,
and short-term habitat displacement. The most severe effect can be
death or permanent hearing loss, with less severe effects including
pain, masking of communication or echolocation signals, habitat
avoidance, increased stress, and behavioral or social disruption
(Richardson et al. 1991 as cited in the application). Of these
reactions, permanent hearing loss and habitat exclusion are the primary
effects that have the possibility of causing injury to an animal or
group of animals. As detailed below, for the Haro Strait experiment,
hearing loss is extremely unlikely, because sources' amplitudes are not
high enough to cause damage except at extremely close distances (< 1="" m).="" the="" amount="" of="" habitat="" that="" may="" be="" excluded="" is="" likely="" to="" be="" small="" in="" comparison="" to="" the="" total="" range="" of="" these="" animals,="" and="" any="" observed="" harmful="" effects="" can="" be="" mitigated="" with="" an="" effective="" monitoring="" plan="" (described="" below),="" which="" will="" be="" in="" place="" prior="" to="" beginning="" the="" experiment.="" permanent="" hearing="" loss="" in="" humans="" and="" other="" terrestrial="" mammals,="" permanent="" hearing="" loss="" may="" occur="" from="" exposure="" to="" very="" loud="" transient="" sounds.="" lengthy="" exposure="" to="" lower="" amplitude="" sounds="" can="" also="" cause="" permanent="" hearing="" loss="" (richardson="" et="" al.="" 1995).="" however,="" none="" of="" the="" sources="" listed="" in="" table="" 1="" is="" considered="" a="" continuous="" source.="" in="" humans="" and="" other="" terrestrial="" animals,="" an="" impulsive="" sound="" with="" a="" received="" sound="" level="" of="" 155="" to="" 160="" db="" above="" absolute="" hearing="" thresholds="" may="" cause="" permanent="" hearing="" damage="" (greenlaw="" 1987,="" kryter="" 1985).="" while="" it="" is="" unknown="" if="" similar="" levels="" cause="" damage="" in="" marine="" mammals="" (richardson="" et="" al.="" 1991,="" 1995),="" until="" better="" information="" is="" available="" for="" marine="" mammals,="" nmfs="" proposes="" to="" adopt="" this="" level="" as="" the="" onset="" of="" permanent="" hearing="" damage="" in="" marine="" mammals.="" nmfs="" clarifies,="" however,="" that="" both="" the="" source="" and="" the="" marine="" mammal's="" hearing="" need="" to="" be="" within="" the="" same="" frequency="" for="" this="" damage="" to="" potentially="" take="" place.="" using="" 155="" db="" above="" hearing="" threshold="" as="" a="" first="" approximation="" of="" the="" received="" level="" required="" for="" permanent="" hearing="" damage="" in="" marine="" mammals,="" the="" applicant="" calculated="" a="" radius="" within="" which="" each="" source="" (listed="" in="" table="" 1="" of="" this="" notice)="" might="" affect="" permanent="" hearing="" loss="" for="" those="" three="" species="" present="" in="" the="" area="" for="" which="" data="" is="" available="" (harbor="" porpoise/dall's="" porpoise,="" harbor="" seal,="" and="" killer="" whale).="" calculations="" indicate="" that="" marine="" mammals="" would="" need="" to="" be="" closer="" than="" .25="" m="" to="" source="" d="" in="" order="" to="" potentially="" receive="" hearing="" damage;="" for="" other="" sources,="" animals="" would="" need="" to="" be="" even="" closer="" (please="" refer="" to="" table="" 3="" in="" the="" application="" for="" actual="" distances).="" however,="" the="" applicant="" presumes="" that="" the="" near-field="" effects="" might="" cause="" the="" distance="" to="" be="" slightly="" greater="" (but="" less="" than="" 1="" m,="" than="" calculated="" by="" spherical="" spreading="" alone.="" as="" a="" result,="" nmfs="" and="" the="" applicant="" believe="" that="" there="" is="" virtually="" no="" possibility="" of="" inflicting="" permanent="" hearing="" damage="" on="" any="" marine="" mammals.="" temporary="" hearing="" loss="" temporary="" threshold="" shift="" (tts)="" is="" an="" increase="" in="" an="" individual="" animal's="" hearing="" threshold="" in="" response="" to="" a="" loud="" sound="" (arpa,="" 1995).="" until="" tts="" dissipates="" (minutes="" to="" hours),="" and="" original="" hearing="" abilities="" return,="" an="" animal="" may="" not="" perceive="" low="" amplitude="" sounds="" that="" were="" normally="" within="" its="" hearing.="" this="" is="" expected="" to="" have="" only="" a="" negligible="" impact="" on="" those="" marine="" mammals="" in="" the="" immediate="" area="" of="" the="" experiment,="" as="" animals="" are="" expected="" to="" move="" away="" from="" sounds="" that="" inflict="" discomfort="" on="" them.="" because="" there="" are="" no="" studies="" of="" tts="" effects="" in="" marine="" mammals="" (richardson="" et="" al.="" 1995),="" comparisons="" with="" data="" on="" humans="" may="" be="" useful="" and="" relevant.="" in="" humans,="" onset="" of="" tts="" is="" approximately="" at="" 80-100="" db="" over="" threshold="" (arpa="" 1995).="" incidental="" harassment="" takes="" in="" addition="" to="" the="" zone="" of="" hearing="" loss="" or="" temporary="" impairment="" (mentioned="" above),="" richardson="" et="" al.="" (1991,="" 1995)="" have="" identified="" three="" zones="" of="" influence="" that="" may="" have="" different="" effects="" on="" marine="" mammals.="" (1)="" zone="" of="" audibility="" (zoa).="" the="" zoa="" is="" the="" region="" where="" a="" marine="" mammal="" can="" be="" expected="" to="" hear="" a="" sound.="" it="" will="" fluctuate="" based="" upon="" ambient="" noise="" level="" and="" the="" hearing="" threshold="" of="" the="" animal.="" using="" spherical="" and="" cylindrical="" spreading="" models="" less="" absorption,="" the="" zoa="" for="" killer="" whales,="" harbor="" porpoise="" and="" harbor="" seals="" are="" predicted="" to="" be="" limited="" to="" the="" line-of-sight="" between="" the="" animals="" and="" the="" source(s)="" for="" the="" loudest="" sources="" and="" up="" to="" 2="" km="" for="" sources="" with="" lower="" sound="" pressure="" levels.="" it="" should="" be="" recognized,="" [[page="" 13850]]="" however,="" that="" nmfs="" does="" not="" consider="" simply="" hearing="" noise="" from="" an="" activity="" to="" mean="" that="" the="" animals="" are="" being="" harassed="" as="" marine="" mammals="" in="" the="" coastal="" environment="" are="" continually="" subject="" to="" noise="" from="" a="" number="" of="" sources,="" both="" natural="" and="" anthropogenic.="" (2)="" zone="" of="" responsiveness="" (zor).="" the="" zor="" is="" the="" region="" where="" a="" marine="" mammal="" may="" (or="" may="" not)="" behaviorally="" respond="" to="" a="" sound="" source.="" for="" the="" sound="" sources="" listed="" in="" table="" 1="" of="" this="" notice,="" the="" predicted="" zor="" is="" less="" than="" 500="" m="" of="" most="" sources="" except="" source="" a,="" which="" has="" a="" zor="" approximately="" 2.5="" km="" for="" killer="" whales;="" source="" d,="" which="" has="" a="" zor="" approximately="" 6="" km="" for="" killer="" whales="" and="" 4="" km="" for="" harbor="" porpoise;="" and="" source="" e,="" which="" has="" a="" zor="" approximately="" 2="" km="" for="" killer="" whales="" (schmidt="" 1996).="" because="" source="" a="" is="" located="" in="" five="" different="" locations,="" it="" will="" have="" a="" zor="" that="" comprises="" the="" entire="" area="" inside="" the="" arrays="" in="" addition="" to="" the="" 2.5="" km="" outside="" exterior="" to="" each="" array.="" table="" 6="" in="" the="" application="" contains="" the="" estimated="" zor="" for="" each="" source.="" it="" should="" be="" noted="" that="" these="" zors="" are="" based="" upon="" limited="" information.="" as="" a="" result,="" the="" zors="" may="" be="" larger="" or="" smaller="" than="" predicted,="" depending="" upon="" the="" marine="" mammal="" species,="" the="" level="" of="" background="" noise,="" habituation,="" and="" the="" behavioral="" state="" of="" the="" animals="" involved.="" (3)="" zone="" of="" discomfort="" (zod).="" the="" zod="" is="" the="" region="" in="" which="" sound="" levels="" are="" expected="" to="" be="" uncomfortable="" to="" marine="" mammals.="" it="" is="" presumed="" that="" marine="" mammals="" will="" avoid="" this="" zone="" when="" the="" sources="" are="" operating="" and="" those="" within="" the="" zod="" will="" leave="" the="" area,="" although="" in="" some="" cases="" avoidance="" may="" not="" be="" possible,="" especially="" if="" geological="" features="" or="" water="" conditions="" make="" exiting="" the="" area="" impractical.="" to="" mitigate="" this="" possibility,="" the="" applicant="" has="" established="" a="" monitoring="" plan="" that="" is="" described="" below.="" based="" upon="" the="" level="" found="" to="" cause="" discomfort="" in="" humans="" (greenlaw="" 1987),="" nmfs="" and="" the="" applicant,="" propose="" a="" contour="" of="" 90="" db="" above="" threshold="" hearing="" to="" define="" the="" zod.="" for="" killer="" whales="" and="" harbor="" porpoise,="" 90="" db="" above="" threshold="" is="" approximately="" 135-140="" db="" for="" a="" wide="" range="" of="" frequencies.="" at="" least="" for="" killer="" whales,="" this="" level="" is="" supported="" by="" observation="" (bain="" 1995).="" for="" the="" three="" species="" for="" which="" audiogram="" data="" are="" available,="" the="" applicant's="" model="" predicts="" a="" small="" zod=""><=50 m)="" for="" all="" sources="" except="" for="" source="" a,="" which="" has="" a="" predicted="" zod="" of="" 173="" m="" for="" killer="" whales,="" source="" d,="" with="" a="" zod="" of="" 386="" m="" for="" killer="" whales="" and="" 220="" m="" for="" harbor="" porpoise="" and="" source="" e,="" which="" has="" a="" zod="" of="" 158="" m="" for="" killer="" whales.="" table="" 7="" in="" the="" application="" contains="" the="" estimated="" zod="" for="" each="" source.="" habitat="" exclusion="" the="" area="" of="" the="" experiment="" is="" occupied="" regularly="" by="" harbor="" porpoise,="" dall's="" porpoise,="" killer="" whales="" and="" harbor="" seals="" and="" to="" a="" significantly="" lesser="" extent,="" by="" minke="" whales,="" elephant="" seals,="" pacific="" white-sided="" dolphin,="" northern="" sea="" lions,="" california="" sea="" lions,="" humpback="" whales,="" and="" gray="" whales.="" while="" sounds="" from="" the="" experiment="" may="" be="" audible="" to="" some="" or="" all="" of="" these="" species,="" behavioral="" effects="" should="" not="" be="" noticeable="" until="" the="" sounds="" reach="" some="" level="" of="" discomfort.="" as="" a="" result="" of="" this="" discomfort,="" there="" is="" the="" possibility="" that="" the="" research="" may="" cause="" some="" marine="" mammals="" to="" move="" out="" of="" their="" preferred="" habitat.="" (1)="" harbor="" porpoise.="" while="" the="" immediate="" area="" of="" the="" experiment="" does="" not="" appear="" to="" be="" primary="" habitat="" for="" harbor="" porpoise="" (baird="" and="" guenther="" 1994,="" raum-suryan="" pers.="" comm.="" as="" cited="" in="" schmidt="" 1996)="" because="" of="" similarity="" to="" acoustic="" deterrent="" devices="" (olesiuk="" et="" al.="" 1995),="" it="" is="" predicted="" that="" sources="" d="" and="" e="" will="" result="" in="" the="" temporary="" displacement="" of="" harbor="" porpoise,="" especially="" on="" the="" western="" side="" of="" haro="" strait="" (schmidt="" 1996).="" (2)="" killer="" whale.="" killer="" whales="" forage="" over="" a="" large="" area="" of="" water="" in="" northern="" puget="" sound="" (schmidt="" 1996).="" therefore,="" it="" is="" highly="" unlikely="" that="" exclusion="" from="" the="" relatively="" small="" area="" of="" the="" experiment="" would="" have="" more="" than="" a="" negligible="" impact="" on="" the="" stock.="" however,="" if="" the="" sources="" impeded="" north-south="" passage="" between="" haro="" strait="" and="" boundary="" pass,="" there="" might="" be="" reason="" for="" some="" concern.="" while="" this="" is="" not="" anticipated,="" mitigation="" measures="" are="" expected="" to="" preclude="" this="" occurrence.="" (3)="" dall's="" porpoise.="" while="" there="" is="" evidence="" that="" dall's="" porpoise="" are="" less="" disturbed="" by="" boats="" than="" harbor="" porpoise="" are="" (osmek="" et="" al.="" 1995),="" other="" information="" (mcintyre="" pers.="" comm.="" 1996)="" indicates="" that="" dall's="" porpoise="" can="" be="" affected="" by="" sonar.="" alternatively,="" other="" research="" results="" of="" sound="" effects="" on="" dall's="" porpoise="" (jones="" et="" al.="" 1986)="" are="" equivocal.="" as="" a="" result="" of="" this="" lack="" of="" evidence,="" and="" because="" of="" the="" similarity="" between="" dall's="" porpoise="" and="" harbor="" porpoise,="" nmfs="" will="" presume="" that="" dall's="" porpoise="" behavior="" to="" the="" experiment's="" sound="" sources="" will="" be="" similar="" to="" that="" observed="" for="" harbor="" porpoise.="" (4)="" harbor="" seal.="" the="" projected="" zor="" for="" harbor="" seal="" is="" less="" than="" 400="" m="" and="" the="" zod="" is="" less="" than="" 40="" m="" for="" even="" the="" loudest="" source="" (source="" d).="" because="" these="" zones="" are="" small,="" and="" because="" the="" experiment="" will="" end="" prior="" to="" the="" main="" onset="" of="" pupping="" (suryan="" 1995),="" nmfs="" does="" not="" believe="" that="" this="" experiment="" would="" have="" more="" than="" a="" negligible="" impact="" on="" harbor="" seals.="" (5)="" other="" marine="" mammal="" species.="" the="" remaining="" marine="" mammal="" species="" identified="" in="" this="" section="" are="" considered="" uncommon="" in="" the="" area.="" as="" a="" result,="" while="" this="" experiment="" may="" result="" in="" the="" incidental="" harassment="" of="" an="" individual="" animal="" that="" might="" enter="" into="" the="" area="" of="" the="" experiment,="" the="" experiment="" itself="" is="" unlikely="" to="" result="" in="" more="" than="" a="" negligible="" impact="" on="" the="" species="" or="" stock="" of="" which="" the="" animal="" is="" a="" member.="" monitoring="" a="" monitoring="" plan="" has="" been="" developed="" and="" will="" be="" conducted="" by="" patrick="" miller,="" ph.d.="" candidate,="" marine="" bioacoustics="" lab,="" woods="" hole="" oceanographic="" institution="" and="" the="" department="" of="" biology,="" mit="" (db/mit).="" in="" addition,="" an="" advisory="" board="" for="" monitoring="" this="" activity's="" impacts="" on="" marine="" mammals="" has="" been="" established.="" the="" goals="" of="" the="" monitoring="" plan="" are:="" (1)="" to="" document="" the="" number="" of="" level="" b="" harassment="" takes="" by="" species="" and="" number.="" to="" accomplish="" this="" task,="" a="" cliffside="" shore="" station="" will="" be="" established="" near="" the="" sound="" sources,="" and="" area="" surveys="" will="" be="" conducted="" using="" a="" small="" inflatable="" craft.="" sampling="" from="" both="" the="" boat="" and="" the="" cliff="" site="" will="" be="" based="" on="" the="" schedule="" of="" usage="" of="" the="" sound="" sources="" to="" ensure="" an="" accurate="" estimate="" of="" the="" total="" number="" of="" animals="" present="" and="" potentially="" harassed="" by="" the="" sources.="" this="" requirement="" will="" vary="" depending="" upon="" which="" sound="" sources="" are="" activated,="" especially="" sources="" d="" and="" e,="" which="" are="" the="" sources="" with="" the="" largest="" zor.="" when="" sources="" d="" and="" e="" are="" not="" operating,="" the="" size="" of="" the="" zor="" is="" small="" (less="" than="" 1="" km="" around="" each="" of="" the="" sound="" sources),="" and="" censusing="" animals="" in="" this="" area="" can="" be="" accomplished="" using="" a="" shore="" station="" on="" the="" western="" bluff="" of="" spieden="" island.="" when="" sources="" d="" and="" e="" are="" operating,="" the="" size="" of="" the="" zor="" is="" much="" larger,="" with="" a="" maximum="" radius="" of="" about="" 6="" km="" around="" the="" d="" source="" (de/mit="" 1996).="" to="" accurately="" estimate="" the="" number="" of="" animals="" by="" species="" in="" an="" area="" of="" water="" this="" size="" will="" require="" the="" use="" of="" both="" the="" shore="" station="" on="" spieden="" island="" and="" a="" boat="" to="" conduct="" censuses="" in="" the="" area="" farthest="" away="" from="" spieden="" island.="" the="" boat="" will="" do="" point="" censusing="" according="" to="" nmfs-approved="" methodologies="" in="" several="" parts="" of="" the="" zor="" while="" the="" source="" is="" operating.="" acoustical="" behavior="" of="" killer="" whales="" will="" be="" studied="" using="" the="" vertical="" arrays,="" a="" hydrophone="" station="" on="" spieden="" island,="" and="" a="" towed="" hydrophone="" array="" from="" the="" killer="" whale="" boat.="" specifically,="" db/mit="" will="" document="" changes="" in="" vocalization="" rates="" and="" repertoires="" when="" the="" sources="" [[page="" 13851]]="" are="" operating="" from="" baseline="" activity="" in="" and="" around="" the="" area="" of="" the="" experiment.="" any="" observed="" change="" in="" killer="" whale="" acoustical="" activity="" that="" is="" directly="" correlated="" to="" a="" sound="" produced="" by="" the="" experiment="" will="" be="" classified="" as="" a="" ``take''="" by="" harassment.="" (2)="" to="" collect="" data="" to="" mitigate="" potential="" effects="" on="" marine="" mammals,="" especially="" habitat="" exclusion="" for="" harbor="" porpoise="" and="" killer="" whales.="" to="" obtain="" a="" sufficient="" number="" of="" baseline="" observations="" needed="" to="" detect="" a="" large="" change="" in="" mean="" abundance="" of="" harbor="" porpoise="" within="" the="" time="" an="" animal="" would="" be="" expected="" to="" suffer="" deleterious="" effects,="" harbor="" porpoise="" observations="" will="" begin="" on="" may="" 16,="" 1996,="" (25="" days="" prior="" to="" startup="" of="" the="" experiment)="" using="" a="" shore="" station="" to="" measure="" their="" abundance.="" to="" provide="" a="" good="" view="" of="" the="" zor="" on="" the="" western="" side="" of="" haro="" island,="" this="" shore="" station="" will="" be="" established="" on="" the="" bluff="" at="" wymond="" pt.,="" sidney="" island.="" for="" killer="" whales,="" in="" addition="" to="" analyzing="" data="" collected="" in="" previous="" years,="" db/mit="" will="" conduct="" a="" period="" of="" baseline="" observations="" on="" killer="" whale="" travel="" behavior="" in="" the="" area.="" db/mit="" will="" record="" the="" likelihood="" that="" killer="" whales="" pass="" from="" north="" to="" south="" given="" an="" approach="" to="" the="" study="" area.="" (3)="" to="" collect="" data="" on="" the="" effects="" of="" sound="" on="" those="" marine="" mammals="" present="" in="" or="" near="" the="" study="" area.="" data="" from="" shore="" stations="" and="" censusing="" vessels="" will="" be="" used="" to="" document="" the="" abundance="" and="" distribution="" of="" marine="" mammals="" in="" relation="" to="" the="" sound="" sources="" over="" a="" wide="" range="" of="" amplitude="" exposures.="" in="" addition,="" monitoring="" will="" determine="" the="" size="" of="" the="" zor="" for="" those="" species="" present="" near="" the="" sources,="" compare="" these="" measurements="" to="" the="" pre-test="" calculated="" zor="" size,="" and="" determine="" displacement="" for="" harbor="" porpoise,="" killer="" whales="" and="" harbor="" seals.="" for="" killer="" whales="" especially,="" behavior="" will="" be="" monitored="" by="" vessel,="" and="" data="" will="" be="" collected="" on="" swim="" direction="" and="" speed,="" and="" group="" spacing="" and="" arrangement.="" finally,="" recovery="" periods="" for="" all="" species="" will="" be="" determined="" through="" a="" 3-week="" post-experiment="" monitoring="" program.="" mitigation="" mitigation="" measures="" include:="" (1)="" developing="" and="" incorporating="" a="" ramp-up="" of="" sound="" sources="" a="" and="" c="" over="" 0.25="" sec;="" (2)="" incorporating="" a="" coded="" sequence="" mechanism="" for="" shutting="" off="" source="" d;="" (3)="" hardwiring="" the="" maximum="" output="" of="" source="" a="" down="" from="" 185="" db="" (re="">Pa) to 170 dB
@ 1 m. and (4) developing a protocol for shutting down sources upon the
approach of killer whales in order to use the vertical arrays to record
and analyze their sounds.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
NMFS has conducted a review of the potential impacts from the
issuance of an incidental harassment authorization to DE/MIT and has
determined that there will be no more than a short-term, negligible
impact on marine mammals from the issuance of the harassment
authorization. For that reason, NMFS has determined that issuance of an
incidental harassment authorization to DE/MIT is categorically excluded
(as defined in 40 CFR 1508.4) from the preparation of either an
environmental impact statement or an EA under NEPA and section
6.02.c.3(i) of NOAA Administrative Order 216-6 for Environmental Review
Procedures (published August 6, 1991).
A programmatic EA on issuing incidental harassment authorizations
under section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA, which was released in 1995, is
available upon request (see ADDRESSES).
Conclusions
NMFS believes that most of the acoustic sources proposed for use in
this experiment are of insufficient amplitude and duty cycle to warrant
an incidental harassment authorization (literally thousands of similar
acoustic devices are in use daily in U.S. waters on vessels as fish
finders, bottom sonars, and as acoustic deterrent devices in commercial
fisheries); however, because of recent public concern over Scripp's
Institution of Oceanography's acoustic thermometry of ocean climate,
oceanographic researchers are correctly taking a cautious approach and
applying for incidental harassment authorizations to ensure their
projects go forward.
NMFS has determined preliminarily that the short-term impact on
marine mammals from conducting a physical oceanography experiment
between June 10 and July 5, 1996, using high-frequency sound to study
the flow field and mixing processes in Haro Strait, Puget Sound, WA,
may result in a short-term modification in behavior by certain species
of cetaceans. While behavioral modifications may be made by these
species of cetaceans to avoid noise, this behavioral change is expected
to have only a negligible impact on the animals. However, the
mitigation and monitoring measures that will be part of the
authorization, if issued, would provide additional protection to ensure
that the project's impact on marine mammals is at the lowest level
practicable. NMFS has also determined that this experiment will not
have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of this stock
for subsistence uses.
As a result, NMFS proposes to issue an incidental harassment
authorization for approximately 60 days for the above described
experiment and post-experiment monitoring, provided the above mentioned
mitigation and monitoring requirements are incorporated.
Information Solicited
NMFS requests interested persons to submit comments, information,
and suggestions concerning this request (see ADDRESSES).
Dated: March 22, 1996.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 96-7624 Filed 3-25-96; 4:31 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-W
