# Marine Mammals; File No. 14352
**AGENCY:**
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice; issuance of permit amendment.
**SUMMARY:**
Notice is hereby given that Dr. Gregory Bossart, Georgia Aquarium, 225 Baker Street, NW., Atlanta, GA 30313 has been issued a major amendment to Permit No. 14352.
**ADDRESSES:**
The permit amendment and related documents are available for review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone (301) 713-2289; fax (301) 713-0376; and
Southeast Region, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33701; phone (727) 824-5312; fax (727) 824-5309.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Carrie Hubard or Kristy Beard, (301) 713-2289.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
On August 6, 2010, notice was published in the *Federal Register* (75 FR 47537) that a request for an amendment to Permit No. 14352 to conduct research on bottlenose dolphins ( *Tursiops truncatus* ) had been submitted by the above-named applicant. The requested permit amendment has been issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 *et seq.* ), and the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216).
The permit has been amended to authorize research in a new study area: Charleston, South Carolina. Fifty bottlenose dolphins may be captured, sampled, and released in Charleston annually. Captured dolphins will receive a health assessment clinical workup. All captured animals will receive a roto tag. Up to ten animals per year will also receive a VHF tag. Samples will be analyzed to examine a variety of health topics such as: infectious diseases, immune status, contaminant exposure, antibiotic resistance, and genetics. An additional 400 dolphins per year may be harassed during pre- and post-capture surveys. The amended permit is valid until October 31, 2014.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 *et seq.* ), a final determination has been made that the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement.
Dated: April 6, 2011.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.