76262 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 229 / Friday, November 27, 2020 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 0131 click the ‘‘Comment Now’’ icon, Habitat Information Report: Basis and complete the required fields, and enter Impact Considerations of Critical National Oceanic and Atmospheric or attach your comments. Habitat Designations for Threatened Administration • Mail: Lance Smith, Protected Indo-Pacific Corals,’’ hereafter referred Resources Division, NMFS, Pacific to as the Draft Information Report 50 CFR Part 223 and 226 Islands Regional Office, NOAA Inouye (NMFS, 2019). This supporting [Docket No: 200918–0249] Regional Center, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. document is available at https:// 176, Honolulu, HI 96818. www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/ RIN 0648–BJ52 Instructions: You must submit proposed-rule-designate-critical-habitat- comments by one of the previously threatened-indo-pacific-corals, at Endangered and Threatened Species; described methods to ensure that we www.regulations.gov, or upon request Critical Habitat for the Threatened receive, document, and consider them. (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Indo-Pacific Corals Comments sent by any other method, to Background AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries any other address or individual, or Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and received after the end of the comment We listed 20 coral species as Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), period, may not be considered. All threatened under the ESA on September 10, 2014 (79 FR 53851). Although 15 of Commerce. comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be the listed species occur in the Indo- ACTION: Proposed rule; request for Pacific, only 7 of the listed coral species comments. posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All Personal Identifying have been found in U.S. waters: A. SUMMARY: We, the National Marine Information (for example, name, globiceps, A. jacquelineae, A. retusa, A. Fisheries Service (NMFS), propose to address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by speciosa, E. paradivisa, I. crateriformis, designate critical habitat for the seven the commenter may be publicly and S. aculeata. These seven species threatened corals in U.S. waters in the accessible. Do not submit confidential have been found in the U.S. Indo-Pacific (Acropora globiceps, business information or otherwise jurisdictions of American Samoa, Guam, Acropora jacquelineae, Acropora retusa, sensitive or protected information. the Commonwealth of the Northern Acropora speciosa, Euphyllia NMFS will accept anonymous Mariana Islands (CNMI), and the Pacific paradivisa, Isopora crateriformis, and comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in the required Remote Island Area (PRIA). The final Seriatopora aculeata) pursuant to fields if you wish to remain listing determinations were based on the section 4 of the Endangered Species Act anonymous). best available information on a suite of demographic, spatial, and susceptibility (ESA). Seventeen specific occupied FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: components that influence the species’ areas containing physical features Lance Smith, NMFS, Pacific Islands essential to the conservation of these vulnerability to extinction in the face of Regional Office, 808–725–5131, continuing threats over the foreseeable coral species are being proposed for [email protected]; or, Celeste Stout, future. All 20 listed species have designation as critical habitat; these NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, undergone some level of population areas contain approximately 600 square 301–427–8436, [email protected]. decline and are susceptible to multiple kilometers (km2; 230 square miles) of SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In threats, including: Ocean warming, marine habitat. We have considered accordance with section 4(b) of the ESA diseases, ocean acidification, ecological positive and negative economic, (16 U.S.C. 1533) and our implementing effects of fishing, and land-based national security, and other relevant regulations (50 CFR 424.12), this sources of pollution. We found that impacts of the proposed designations, proposed rule is based on the best aspects of the species’ demography and and we propose to exclude two areas scientific information available distribution buffer the effects of these from the critical habitat designations concerning the range, biology, habitat, threats. Although we have no due to anticipated impacts on national threats to the habitat, and conservation information that indicates that these security. We are soliciting comments objectives for the seven threatened species are currently in danger of from the public on all aspects of the corals in U.S. waters of the Indo-Pacific extinction, we determined that they all proposal, including our identification of (Acropora globiceps, A. jacquelineae, A. are likely to become endangered the geographical area and depths retusa, A. speciosa, Euphyllia throughout all of their ranges within the occupied by the species, the physical paradivisa, Isopora crateriformis, and foreseeable future as a result of a and biological feature essential to the Seriatopora aculeata). We reviewed the combination of threats, the most severe coral species’ conservation and available information and have used it of which are related to climate change. identification, areas not included and to identify physical and biological As such, we listed them as threatened. excluded, and consideration of impacts features essential to the conservation of The following proposed rule is based on of the proposed action. each coral, the specific areas within the our Draft Information Report and peer DATES: Comments on this proposal must occupied areas that contain the essential review comments on the report. All of be received by January 26, 2021. physical and biological features that the information that we used to make Public hearings: If requested, we will may require special management our determinations in this proposed rule hold at least one public hearing on this considerations or protections, the is contained in that report. The Draft proposed rule. Federal activities that may impact the Information Report is available at ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, physical or biological features or areas, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/ identified by the docket number and the potential impacts of designating proposed-rule-designate-critical-habitat- NOAA–NMFS–2016–0131, by any of the critical habitat for these seven Indo- threatened-indo-pacific-corals, at following methods: Pacific corals. The economic, national www.regulations.gov, or upon request • Electronic Submissions: Submit all security, and other relevant impacts of (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). electronic public comments via the the proposed critical habitat Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to designations for these coral species are Natural History www.regulations.gov/ described in the draft document titled, This section summarizes life history #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2016- ‘‘Endangered Species Act Critical and biological characteristics of Indo- VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:01 Nov 25, 2020 Jkt 253001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\27NOP2.SGM 27NOP2 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS2 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 229 / Friday, November 27, 2020 / Proposed Rules 76263 Pacific reef-building corals to provide dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium and produce colony-level clones varies by context for the identification of the provide nutrition to the host coral by species. For example, branching species physical and biological feature essential translocating fixed organic carbon and are much more likely than encrusting for the conservation of these species. In other nutrients. In return, they receive species to produce clones via this section, we cover several topic areas inorganic waste metabolites from host fragmentation; Brainard et al., 2011). including an introduction to reef- respiration as well as protection from Corals use a number of diverse building corals, as well as reproduction, grazing. This exchange of nutrients reproductive strategies that have been settlement and growth, coral habitat allows both partners to flourish and researched extensively; however, many types, and coral reef ecosystems. There helps the coral secrete the calcium individual species’ reproductive modes is little species-specific information carbonate that forms the skeletal remain poorly described. Most coral available on the life history, structure of the coral colony, which in species use both sexual and asexual reproductive biology, and ecology for turn contributes to the formation of the propagation. Sexual reproduction in the seven corals that occur in U.S. reef. Thus, reef-building corals are also corals is primarily through waters of the Indo-Pacific, because known as zooxanthellate corals. Some gametogenesis (i.e., development of eggs many of the several hundred Indo- corals do not contain zooxanthellae, and and sperm within the polyps). Some Pacific reef-building corals resemble one these species form much smaller coral species have separate sexes another, thus most investigations to date skeletons, and therefore are not (gonochoric), while others are have been at the genus level. We considered reef-building. The seven hermaphroditic. Strategies for provide specific information for each ESA-listed Indo-Pacific corals discussed fertilization are either by brooding species where possible. In addition, we in this proposed rule are zooxanthellate (internal fertilization) or broadcast provide general information