Notice2025-20322
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 19, 2025
Issuing agencies
National Science Foundation
Abstract
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 1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act in the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications received.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 221 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52117-52118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-20322]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of permit applications received.
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SUMMARY: 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 1978. NSF has published
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act in 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 this permit application by December 19, 2025.
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit
Office, address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#612022201104130c081512210f12074f060e17"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6e2f2d2f1e0b1c03071a1d2e001d0840090118">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Titmus, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address, 703-292-4479.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 16 U.S.C.
2401 et seq.), as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and
Conservation Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-227), has developed regulations
(45 CFR parts 670 to 674) for the establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica related to the designation of certain
animals and certain geographic areas as requiring special protection,
among other purposes.
Application Details
Permit Application: 2026-010
1. Applicant: Steve Emslie, University of North Carolina, Department of
Biology and Marine Biology, Wilmington, NC 28403
Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Take, Harmful Interference,
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA), Import into USA,
Export from USA (45 CFR 670). The applicant seeks an Antarctic
Conservation Act permit authorizing take and harmful interference
associated with research primarily examining ecological responses in
diet and foraging behavior of the Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae)
in Antarctica. The applicant proposes to collect up to 150 ancient and
modern penguin tissues per year at active and abandoned penguin
colonies in the Ross Sea region. Ice-free areas would be surveyed and
sampled through excavations 1 m x 1 m in size, of sediment and rock in
penguin colonies. Excavations would occur in 5-10 cm levels until
bedrock or non-orthogenic sediments are encountered, and bones,
feathers, eggshell, and whole carcasses would be salvaged. Excavations
would be placed in areas with little or no vegetation when possible and
upon completion, excavations will be refilled, and disturbed vegetation
replaced. Up to 200 small samples of lichens would also be collected
per year in ice-free areas near penguin colonies. The applicant
additionally proposes to collect salvaged whole or partial seabird
carcasses, up to 10 of each species per year, of native Antarctic birds
found dead on beaches, at seabird colonies, at McMurdo and Palmer
stations. The applicant also proposes collection of small tissue
samples from up to 10 mummified carcasses of southern elephant
(Mirounga leonina), crabeater (Lobodon carcinophaga), leopard (Hydrurga
leptonyx), and Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) if they are
encountered. The applicant holds a valid National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) permit for seal tissue collection. The applicant plans
to enter a number of ASPAs detailed below, in addition to other sites
in the Ross Sea region.
Location: Ross Sea region. ASPA 104--Sabrina Island, Balleny
Islands; ASPA 105--Beaufort Island, McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea; ASPA 106--
Cape Hallett, Northern Victoria Land, Ross Sea; ASPA 121--Cape Royds,
Ross Island; ASPA 124--Cape Crozier, Ross Island; ASPA 159--Cape Adare,
Borchgrevink Coast; ASPA 161--Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea; ASPA 165--
[[Page 52118]]
Edmonson Point, Wood Point, Ross Sea; ASPA 178--Inexpressible Island
and Seaview Bay, Ross Sea. McMurdo Station, Palmer Station, U.S.
Antarctic Program vessels.
Dates of Permitted Activities: 1 January 2026-31 December 2029.
Permit Application: 2026-016
2. Applicant: Gabriel Matthias, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 201
Railway Ave., Seward, AK 99664
Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Waste Management (45 CFR
671). The applicant seeks an Antarctic Conservation Act permit
authorizing waste management activities in association with the
operation of research cruises in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The
applicant plans to support multidisciplinary research including sea
ice, water, and sediment sampling, invertebrate collections using
SCUBA, and the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for
diver safety and site scouting. RPAS would only be flown within visual
line of sight and not in proximity to wildlife. Mitigation measures
will be used to reduce the risk of RPAS loss, including flotation
devices and reflective markings. A small, battery-powered Remotely
Operated Vehicle (ROV) would also be used to assess site suitability
and to aid in invertebrate collections. The ROV would be tethered, and
in the event of malfunction could be retrieved manually using the
tether. Additionally, the research cruises will support the deployment
of field camps on Seymour Island to conduct geologic rock-coring
research. Waste management activities associated with the field camp
will be conducted under a separate ACA permit held by Leidos Inc. (ACA
2025-008).
Location: Antarctic Peninsula region.
Dates of Permitted Activities: January 12, 2026-March 25, 2026.
Permit Application: 2026-017
3. Applicant: Lee Ellett, University of California San Diego, Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, Nimitz Marine Facility, 297 Rosecrans St.,
San Diego, CA 92107
Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Waste Management (45 CFR
671). The applicant seeks an Antarctic Conservation Act permit
authorizing waste management activities in association with the
operation of research cruises in the Antarctic Peninsula region. The
applicant plans to support the ongoing Palmer Long-Term Ecological
Research (LTER) study. Research activities include a regional scale
sampling grid of hydrographic stations, sediment sampling, and
deploying physical oceanographic moorings. Releases to the environment
of scientific sampling equipment would include three steel mooring
anchors, two Argo floats, one Slocum glider, and up to 80 XBT probes.
Additionally, avian researchers will be deployed on several islands to
conduct seabird censuses. Avian census work will be conducted under a
separate, existing ACA permit.
Location: Antarctic Peninsula region.
Dates of Permitted Activities: January 1, 2026-February 27, 2026.
Jean C. Allen,
Office Director, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2025-20322 Filed 11-18-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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