Document
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 197...
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The National Science Foundation, as directed by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 45 CFR 670), as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has developed regulations for the 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 Antarctic Specially Protected Areas.
Application Details
Permit Application: 2025-010
1.
Applicant:
Daniel Costa, 130 MacAlister Way, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Activity for Which Permit is Requested:
Take, Harmful Interference, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area, Import into USA, Export from USA. The applicant seeks an ACA permit in association with research on the foraging ecology of Weddell seals. The applicant would capture, weigh, measure, sample, and tag up to 25 adult Weddell seals. Additionally, up to 10 Crabeater seal adults, up to 5 Ross seal adults, up to 5 Leopard seal adults, and up to 5 Elephant seal adults would be captured, weighed, measured, sampled, and tagged. Seals would be chemically immobilized using sedatives including telazol, ketamine-diazepam, ketamine-midazolam, and butorphanol-midazolam during handling. This approach has been used during previous work in the Ross Sea, and is currently permitted under a NMFS Marine Mammal permit valid until November 30, 2026. Samples taken would include whiskers, blood, muscle and blubber biopsies. Seals would be flipper tagged and instrumented with a satellite data logger, total handling time would be under 1 hour per animal. Work would be conducted in ASPA 124—Cape Crozier, as well as ASPA 105—Beaufort Island, ASPA 116—New College Valley, ASPA 121—Cape Royds, ASPA 155—Cape Evans, and ASPA 157—Backdoor Bay.
Location:
ASPA 105—Beaufort Island, McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea; ASPA 116—New College Valley, Caughley Beach, Cape Bird, Ross Island; ASPA 121—Cape Royds, Ross Island; ASPA 124—Cape Crozier, Ross Island; ASPA 155—Cape Evans, Ross Island; ASPA 157—Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross Island.
Dates of Permitted Activities:
October 1, 2024-September 30, 2024.
Kimiko S. Bowens-Knox,
Program Analyst, Office of Polar Programs.