Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

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, Public Law 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 reviews with respect to these permit applications by September 23,

1997. Permit applications may be inspected by interested parties at the

Permit Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 775,

Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson

Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nadene G. Kennedy at the above address or (703) 306-1033.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed

by the Antarctica 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 Antarctic and designation of certain animals and

certain geographic areas requiring special protection. The regulations

established such a permit system to designate Specially Protected Areas

and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The application received is as follows:

Permit Application No. 98-007

1. Applicant: Arthur L. DeVries, Department of Physiology, 524 Burrill

[[Page 45881]]

Hall, University of Illinois, 407 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana,

Illinois 61801-3704

Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Introduction of Non-

indigenous Species into Antarctica.

Fifteen (15) specimens of New Zealand black cod, Notothenia

angustata, will be cold acclimated in a closed seawater system in the

aquarium at McMurdo Station. The cold acclimated specimens will be used

in experiments to determine the role of the antifreeze glycopeptides in

freezing avoidance, and for isolating DNA. The DNA will be screened for

the presence of an ``unexpressed'' antifreeze glycopeptide gene.

Sensitive blood serum freezing habit tests suggest cold acclimated

black cod synthesize small amounts of antifreeze glycopeptide after

acclimation to +4 deg.C for 6 weeks.

Some specimens will be injected with purified antifreeze

glycopeptides to determine if the presence of the antifreeze

glycopeptides in the circulation is sufficient to provide avoidance of

freezing or if it needs to be integrated into the membranes of

protected cells by synthetic ice crystals and the fate of the ice is

determined.

The integument of the cod will also be used in experiments to

determine whether it is a barrier to ice propagation due to its

physical properties or whether antifreeze glycopeptides provide a

physioco-chemical barrier in conjunction with the integument. Brain

lipids will also be analyzed to determine the degree of unsaturation of

the phospholipid fatty acids.

Upon completion of experiments, the black cod will be sacrificed

and preserved in 10% formalin.

Location: McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica.

Dates: October 1, 1996-March 31, 1997.

Permit Application: 98-008

2. Applicant: Ian Whillans, Department of Ecological Sciences, Ohio

State University, 125 South Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210

Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Enter Specially Protected

Area.

The applicant proposes to enter Beaufort Island, Specially

Protected Area No. 5, to measure the motion of the island with respect

to the Transantarctic Mountains due to mountain building activity and

related processes. Access to the area will be by twin otter or

helicopter to an area above sea level to install GPS receivers. The GPS

will operate for 5 days or less and then be removed. Small markers will

be left behind for reoccupation in 1998/99 and again 10 years later.

Every effort will be made to avoid disturbance to wildlife.

Location: Beaufort Island, Specially Protected Area No. 5, Ross

Sea.

Dates: November 1, 1997-February 25, 1998.

Permit Application: 98-009

3. Applicant: Thomas A. Day, Department of Botany, Arizona State

University, Box 871601, Tempe, AZ 85287-1601

Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Taking, Enter Specially

Protected Areas and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and Import

into the U.S. Strong evidence indicates the climate of the Antarctic

Peninsula has changed appreciably this century. In addition, springtime

ozone depletion events have resulted in well-documented increases in

UV-B radiation levels. The applicant's previous work with two plant

species collected near Palmer Station, indicate both species are

sensitive to higher air temperatures and limited in ability to

acclimate photosynthethically to warmer temperatures. The applicant

proposes to enter Biscoe Point (SSSI #20) and Admiralty Bay (SSSI #8)

to collect up to 50 shoots and up to 500 seeds of antarctic grass hair

(Deschampsia antarctica) of antarctic perlwort (Colobanthus guitensis).

Both plant species will be grown in the lab to examine changes in

photosynthesis, growth and reduction following warming or exclusion of

different UV components. The species collected from the Specially

Protected areas will be used to determine whether different populations

from contrasting weather regimes differ in their acclimation abilities.

In addition, the applicant plans to visit Litchfield Island (SPA #17)

on a site visit to assess animal damage to plant communities. The need

for both shoots and seeds of each species is that in all but very

favorable growing seasons, the vast majority of seeds produced by these

plants are not viable. If seeds are not viable, plants must be

propagated from shoots.

Location: Biscoe Point (SSSI #20), Admiralty Bay (SSSI #8), and

Litchfield Island (SPA #17), Antarctic Peninsula.

Dates: October 15, 1997 to April 30, 1999.

Permit Application No. 98-010

4. Applicant: Donald Croll, Institute of Marine Science, University of

California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Taking; Import into the

U.S.; and, Enter Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The applicant proposes to collect blood, tracheal swabs, and coacal

swab samples from 125 adult Adelie penguins per colony (10 colonies

total) for analysis of antibody presence. Additional blood will be

taken from 10 Adelies per colony to test for the presence of trace

metal or trace organic contamination. The objectives of this study are

to test the hypothesis that introduced avian diseases are more likely

to be present in penguins whose rookeries are located in areas of high

human use than those located in areas of low human use. A second

hypothesis will be tested predicting penguins in high human use

colonies will have higher contaminate levels than those in lower human

use colonies. While visiting the colonies, the applicant also proposes

to collect up to 30 adult Adelie carcasses and 15 South Polar Skua

carcasses, if found, for contaminant analysis and archival storage for

future research needs.

Location: From 5 of the six high human contact colonies and 5 of

the eight low human contact colonies listed below:

High Human Contact: Pt. Thomas, King George Island, Lions Rump

(SSSI #34), King George Island, Arthur Harbor, Anvers Island, Hope Bay,

Trinity Peninsula, Paulet Island, Petermann Island

Low Human contact: Cone Island, Margueritte Bay, Barcroft Island,

Fish Island, Grandidier Channel, Avian Island, Margueritte Bay,

Andressen Island, Crystal Sound, North Pitt Island, Grandidier Channel,

Danger Island, Three Sisters Point, King George Island

Dates: December 1, 1997--March 1, 1999.

Permit Application No. 98-011

5. Applicant: Bill J. Baker, Department of Chemistry, Florida Institute

of Technology, Melbourne FL 32901

Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Introduce Non-indigenous

species into Antarctica.

The applicant proposes to introduce 2 slants each of the following

species; Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli,

Microccoccus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus,

Aspergillus niger, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These eight species of

non-pathogenic microorganisms will be used for bioassay of marine

invertebrate extracts. The microorganisms will be propagated for each

bioassay, then disposed of by sterilization at the conclusion of the

field season. Sterile techniques will be used to handle the microbes to

ensure they remain contained.

[[Page 45882]]

Location: Crary Lab, McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Dates: October 1, 1997-December 31, 1997.

Permit Application No. 98-012

6. Applicant: Donald B. Siniff, Dept. of Ecology, Evolution and

Behavior, 100 Ecology Building, University of Minnesota, St. Paul,

Minnesota 55108

Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Taking. Import into the

U.S.

The applicant plans to tag and release approximately 350 Weddell

adult seals and approximately 550 Weddell pups as part of a continuing

investigation of the McMurdo Sound Weddell seal population, which was

begun in the early 1960's and has continued to the present. In

addition, blood and tissue samples will be taken from up to 300

individuals and imported to the U.S. for DNA extraction and toxins

analysis. These samples are primarily to supplement future research

into the paternity and genetic characteristics of the McMurdo

populations specifically and Antarctic seals in general. Aspects of

this research are: (1) To continue the long-term tagging studies by

tagging all pups born into the McMurdo Sound population and to replace

tags on previously tagged individuals so they will not be lost from the

tagged population; (2) to update estimates of population parameters

annually, using mark-recapture surveys, to continue the analyses and

test of hypotheses associated with this data base; (3) collect blood

and tissue samples for research examining the social structure and

behavioral ecology of Weddell seals. The samples will be analyzed at

the Universities of Minnesota and Alberta for DNA fingerprinting; (4)

Previous research of stomach samples from harvested seals indicated

that Antarctic silver fish is the major prey constituent during the

austral summer. Since stomach content is no longer a viable option, and

otoliths from fecal samples are often too eroded for accurate age

estimation, lavage techniques (performed under supervision of a marine

mammal veterinarian) offer a non-lethal technique of obtaining this

data; and (5) VHF radio transmitters will be used to monitor the

activity of territorial males during the breeding season in conjunction

with the studies of behavioral ecology and paternity. The radio

transmitters will be attached with marine epoxy and removed after use.

If animals cannot be recaptured, the radios will fall off during their

annual molt.

Location: McMurdo Sound vicinity, Antarctica.

Dates: October 1, 1997-September 30, 1998.

Permit Application No. 98-013

7. Applicant: Donald B. Siniff, Dept. of Ecology, Evolution and

Behavior, 100 Ecology Building, University of Minnesota, St. Paul,

Minnesota 55108

Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take. Import into the U.S.

Enter Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The applicant proposes the enter the White Island Site of Special

Scientific Interest (SSSI#18) to tag up to 15 adult Weddell seals, and

tag and draw blood samples from approximately 5-8 Weddell pups, as part

of a continuing population biology study. The White Island seal

population has been a focus of interest dating to the early 1960's.

This group of seals represents an isolated population that is very

small and the evidence suggests it has very limited exchange of

individuals with the McMurdo Sound population. Since intensive

censusing was begun in the late 1980's, no new (tagged) adults have

appeared in the population. Thus, the genetics of this population is of

interest because it will increase understanding of such concepts as

inbreeding depression and genetic drift.

Location: SSSI#18--North-west White Island, McMurdo Sound,

Antarctica.

Dates: October 1, 1997-September 30, 1998.

Nadene G. Kennedy,

Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.

[FR Doc. 97-22985 Filed 8-28-97; 8:45 am]

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