[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29377-29378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14143]
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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
Conservation Act of 1978, Pub. L. 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 these permit applications by June 30, 1997.
Permit applications 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:
Ndene G. Kennedy at the above address or (703) 306-1033.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), has
developed regulations that implement the ``Agreed Measures for the
Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora'' for all United States
citizens. The Agreed Measures, developed by the Antarctic Treaty
Consultative Parties, recommended establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas as requiring special protection. The
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Specially
Protected Areas and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
The application received is follows:
1. Applicant
W. Scott Drieschman, Wildlife Concepts International, Inc., P.O.
Box 65, Palomar Mountain, California 92060
Permit Application: 98-001
Activity for Which Permit is Requested
Taking; Import to the U.S. (transship). The applicant proposes to
collect no more than 60 Emperor chicks (less than .03% of the total
estimated population and less than 0.6% of the Dawson-Lambton colony)
for scientific purposes, zoological display, and education. Due to late
hatching there are chicks that will not survive. The intent of the
project is to collect the chicks with no chance of survival. The impact
to the overall breeding success of the colony will not be affected in
this case. Weights of the chicks will be taken to determine if the
individuals fit the collection criteria for body mass (3-5 kg).
The chicks will be transported in individual ``blue ice''
containers (same methodology has been successfully used by other
penguin biologists) that provide easy access to the birds for
monitoring and feeding purposes. Two penguin biologists will accompany
the Emperor chicks as they are transported from Antarctica to the
Nagoya Aquarium in Japan. This facility opened in October 1992 and has
one of the most advanced Antarctic exhibit complexes in the worlds. The
penguin exhibit contains four species: Adelie, chinstrap, gentoo and
king penguins. The aquarium has bred all four penguin species since the
facility opened and at the present time has a self sufficient
population of birds. Mortality is very low at less than one percent per
year; much lower than any wild populations. There have been no chronic
health problems, nor has there been any outbreak of contagious disease.
Currently there are only two breeding colonies of Emperors outside
of the Antarctic, at Sea World of San Diego and Sea World of Ohio. The
addition of Emperor penguins to the Nagoya Aquarium will make it the
third.
Location: Areas adjacent to the Dawson-Lambton Glacier, Filchner
Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea.
Dates: October 1, 1997-February 28, 1998.
2. Applicant
[[Page 29378]]
Randall Davis, Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University,
P.O. Box 1675, Galveston, Texas 77553
Permit Application: 98-004
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Taking and Import into the U.S. The applicant will investigate the
behavorial and energetic adaptions that enable Weddell seals to forage
into the Antarctic fast-ice environment. They will examine the
underwater behavior, locomotor performances (swimming velocity, stroke
frequency, amplitude and three-dimensional movements) and energy
metabolism during foraging dives. To accomplish this, the applicant
proposes to capture up to 15 Weddell seals each season. The seals will
be weighed, immobilized and sedated for attachment of a video camera
and a small radio transmitter to a piece of neoprene rubber glued to
the fur along the dorsal midline above the shoulders with neoprene
rubber cement. In addition, blood and muscle tissue samples will be
taken and imported in the U.S. for analysis of metabolites and
myoglobin. During each deployment of the video system, a single seal
will be captured, instrumented and released into an ice hole for five
days. The rubber pad will eventually fall off when the seal molts.
Location: McMurdo Sound vicinity.
Dates: October 1, 1997 to February 1, 2000.
3. Applicant
Wayne Z. Trivelpiece, Department of Biology, Montana State
University, Bozeman, Montana 59717
Permit Application No. 98-005
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Taking; Import into the U.S.; and, Enter Site of Special Scientific
Interest. The applicant is conducting a continuing study of behavioral
ecology and population biology of the Adelie, gentoo, and chinstrap
penguins and the interactions among these species and their principal
avian predators: skuas, gulls, sheathbills, and giant fulmars. Up to
1000 Adelie and gentoo chicks, plus 150 adults of each of all three
penguin species, will be branded. Up to 50 adults of each penguin
species will be fitted with radio transmitters and time-depth recorders
to continue studying penguin foraging habits. The study also involves
stomach pumping of 40 adult penguins per species. In addition the
principal avian predators of the penguins, mentioned above, will also
be studied, requiring adults and chicks to be banded, if possible. One
(1) milliliter sample of blood will be collected from each of a maximum
of 20 breeding adults of each penguin species for DNA analysis. All
captured birds will be released unharmed. Carcasses and skeletons of
penguins and other birds salvaged at the study site will be imported
into the U.S. for educational and scientific study.
Location: SSSI #8--Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, King George
Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.
Dates: October 1, 1997-April 1, 1998.
4. Applicant
Robert Wharton, Jr., Desert Reseach Institute, P.O. Box 60220,
Reno, Nevada 89506
Permit Application No. 98-006
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Enter Site of Special Scientific Interest. The applicant proposes
to enter the Barwick Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest #3 to
obtain hydrological data on lake levels and ice thickness. Besides
extending baseline data in Barwick Valley, these data will contribute
to ongoing investigations of lake ice dynamics in the Dry Valleys
carried out by the LTER and NASA Exobiology projects. Data collection
will be done by completely non-intrusive means. There will be no
drilling, sample collection, or environmental manipulations of any
kind. Lake leveling will be done with optical survey instruments, and
ice thickness will be performed with ground penetrating radar (GPR).
The applicant plans to enter the SSSI during two day trips in November.
Personnel will be put down by helicopter outside the SSSI boundaries,
establish a small tent camp, then hike into the SSSI to Lake Vashka
(approximately 5 km).
Location: SSSI #3--Barwick Valley, Victoria Land, Antarctica.
Dates: November 1, 1997 to November 15, 1997.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 97-14143 Filed 5-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M
