7555-01
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.
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 [INSERT 30 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
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 ACApermits@nsf.gov.
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, 45 CFR 671), 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:
1.

Applicant

Permit Application: 2025-003

Birgitte McDonald, Moss Landing Marine Labs, 8272 Moss Landing Rd. Moss landing, CA 95039
Activity for Which Permit is Requested
Take, Harmful Interference, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area, Import to USA. The
applicant requests authorization to enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 124, Cape

Crozier, to conduct physiological and ecological studies on emperor penguins (Aptenodytes
forsteri). The two-part project aims to address fundamental information gaps about the foraging
ecology and habitat use of emperor penguins at two stages of their life history. The applicant
proposes capturing up to 35 adult breeding emperor penguins as they depart colonies to forage.
Penguins will be captured over 100 m away from the colony to minimize disturbance to the
colony. Captured penguins will undergo morphological and physiological sampling, including
blood, feathers, and guano, and will be fitted with instrumentation used for collecting foraging
data. Up to five penguins will also be fitted with a video data logger. Up to 12 penguins would be
measured for field metabolic rate using injected sterile doubly labeled water requiring the
penguins to be corralled for up to 3.5 hours. Previous experience has show the penguins remain
calm during this period. After penguins return from a foraging trip (~1-3 weeks), the would be
recaptured, weighted, measured, and a blood sample collected. An additional 200 guano samples
would be collected from penguins at the colony by collecting fresh guano from clean ice or snow at
the periphery of the colony.
Location
ASPA 124 – Cape Crozier, Ross Island
Dates of Permitted Activities
1 October 2024 – 31 May 2025
Kimiko S. Bowens-Knox,
Program Analyst,
Office of Polar Programs.

[FR Doc. 2024-13965 Filed: 6/25/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/26/2024]