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 (Public Law 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: 2025-004

Heather Liwanag, California Polytechnic State University, Department of Biological
Sciences, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401.
Activity for Which Permit is Requested
Import into USA. The applicant seeks an Antarctic Conservation Act permit to
import samples comprising oral swabs, rectal swabs, and serum from 36 adult
Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii). The samples were collected in 2019 and
2020 by the New Zealand Antarctic program as part of a collaborative disease
investigation study. The samples complement additional samples collected by the
applicant in 2017 and 2019 under ACA permit 2018-013M#1. The previously
collected samples have been stored at McMurdo Station, Antarctica since collection.
The samples will assist in investigating the cause of lesions observed in seals during
prior fieldwork.
Location
None.
Dates of Permitted Activities
September 01, 2024 – August 31, 2025
2.

Applicant

Permit Application: 2025-005

Zheng Wang, Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering, US Naval Research
Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20375
Activity for Which Permit is Requested
Introduce Non-Indigenous Species into Antarctica, Import into USA, Export from
USA. The applicant seeks an Antarctic Conservation Act permit to introduce
desiccated spores of four Aspergillus niger strains in Antarctica in order to study the

biological effects of cosmic ionizing radiation. The desiccated spores are incapable
of growing or dispersing and will be plated onto quartz coupons and glued into a
box, which would be assembled in the USA and shipped to McMurdo Station,
Antarctica. The samples will be loaded onto a payload of a NASA Long Duration
Balloon to be flown over the Antarctic continent at an altitude of 115,000 – 160,000
ft for approximately 8-15 days. Anticipated flight window would be in December,
2024. Upon termination of the flight, the payload would be recovered from the field
and transported back to McMurdo Station. The box containing the desiccated spores
would then be shipped back to the USA for analysis.
Location
McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Dates of Permitted Activities
October 15, 2024 – April 1, 2025
3.

Applicant

Permit Application: 2025-006

Paul Ponganis, CMBB, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, La Jolla, CA
92093-0204
Activity for Which Permit is Requested
Take, Harmful Interference, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area, Import into
USA. The applicant requests an Antarctic Conservation Act permit authorizing take
and harmful interference associated with ongoing research examining the oxygen
transport systems of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) in Antarctica. The
applicant proposes capturing up to 35 non-breeding or sub-adult penguins from the
McMurdo Sound region or, if necessary, in Cape Washington (ASPA 173). The
applicant will access ASPA 173 by fixed-wing aircraft in accordance with the ASPA
management plan. Throughout the course of the physiology study, penguins will be

kept captive on the sea ice, but will be allowed to dive and forage at will. Research
activities involve the administration of general anesthesia and the attachment of
instrumentation to measure oxygen levels, heart rate/stroke rate, and dive
depth/activity. In some penguins, blood samples may be collected during dives. RNA
will be isolated from up to 20 samples and imported into the USA. At the end of each
dive study, equipment will be removed, and the penguins will be released at the
McMurdo Sea ice edge, where they will be able to rejoin nearby colonies.
Location
McMurdo Sound, ASPA 173 - Cape Washington and Silverfish Bay
Dates of Permitted Activities
October 1, 2024 – December 20, 2024
Kimiko S. Bowens-Knox,
Program Analyst,
Office of Polar Programs.

[FR Doc. 2024-14705 Filed: 7/3/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 7/5/2024]