Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for Johnson's Seagrass

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 222 and 227

[I.D. 052493B]

Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for

Johnson's Seagrass

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), pursuant to the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provides notice of

reopening of the comment period on the proposed listing of Johnson's

seagrass, Halophila johnsonii as a threatened species. The comment

period has been reopened to provide opportunity for public comment

since the close of the original comment period on December 14, 1993.

DATES: The public comment period, which originally closed on December

14, 1993, now closes June 4, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for copies of the technical workshops

proceedings and references should be sent to the Chief, Endangered

Species Division (F/PR3), Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315

East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Brewer, F/PR3, NMFS, (301) 713-

1401, or Colleen Coogan, Southeast Region, NMFS, (813) 570-5312.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On September 15, 1993, NMFS published a proposed rule to list

Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species (58 FR 48326). Designation

of critical habitat was subsequently proposed on August 4, 1994 (59 FR

39716). A public hearing on both the proposed listing and critical

habitat

[[Page 19469]]

designation was held in Vero Beach, Florida on September 20, 1994. This

reopening of the comment period applies only to the proposed listing of

Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species. The proposed designation of

critical habitat will be addressed in a separate Federal Register

notice and additional comments will be solicited at that time.

Since publication of the proposed rule, additional information has

been made available to NMFS that supplements available data on the

status and distribution of Johnson's seagrass. This information was

reviewed in a technical workshop held in St. Petersburg, Florida, in

November 1996, and has been summarized in a workshop proceedings

(Kenworthy, 1997) submitted to NMFS on October 15, 1997.

In addition, genetic studies confirming and supporting information

presented in the proposed rule regarding the species separation of

Johnson's seagrass have been published (Jewitt-Smith et al., 1997);

peer review comments on the proposed rule have been received, and a

report summarizing several years of surveys for Johnson's seagrass

within the Indian River Lagoon has been completed (Virnstein, et al.,

1997). A brief summary of the workshop proceedings follows:

The workshop convened species experts and representatives of

agencies with jurisdiction over seagrasses and their habitats to review

existing information on the biology and ecology of Johnson's seagrass.

Workshop attendees reviewed new genetic information supporting H.

johnsonii as a separate species from H. decipens (recently published by

Jewitt-Smith et al, 1977). New qualitative and quantitative benthic

surveys and interviews with species experts also reviewed at the

workshop, confirmed the extremely limited geographic distribution of

Johnson's seagrass to patchy and vertically disjunct areas between

Sebastian Inlet and northern Biscayne Bay on the east coast of Florida,

finding no verifiable sightings outside of the range other than those

already reported. Since additional surveys have not located any male

flowers, nor has seedling recruitment been confirmed, the workshop

attendees attributed the distribution and abundance of Johnson's

seagrass to a reliance on vegetative means of reproduction and growth.

High densities of apical meristems, rapid rates of horizontal growth,

and a fast leaf turnover were suggested to explain the appearance and

disappearance of Johnson's seagrass observed in disturbed areas and on

survey transects.

Public Comments Solicited

Due to the availability of additional information, the passage of

time since the close of the previous comment period, and the desire to

review the best scientific information available during the decision-

making process, the comment period for the proposed listing of

Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species is being reopened. NMFS is

requesting comments from the public on new or additional information on

the distribution and status of Johnson's seagrass. All comments

received by June 4, 1998 will be considered in NMFS final decision.

References

Kenworthy, J.W. 1997. An updated biological status review and

Summary of the Proceedings of a Workshop to Review the Biological

Status of the Seagrass, Halophila johnsonii Eiseman. Final Report

submitted to Office of Protected Species, NMFS, NOAA, Silver Spring, MD

- October 15, 1997.

Jewitt-Smith, J., C. McMillan, W.J. Kenworthy, and K. Bird. 1997.

Flowering and genetic banding patterns of Halophila johnsonii and

conspecifics. Aquatic Botany 59: 323-331.

Virnstein, R.W., L.J. Morris, J.D. Miller, and R. Miller-Meyers.

1997. Distribution and abundance of Halophila johnsonii in the Indian

River Lagoon. St. John's River Water Management District, Techincal

Memorandum # 24.

Authority

The Authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: April 10, 1998.

Rolland A. Schmitten,

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 98-10368 Filed 4-17-98; 8:45 am]

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