Issuing an Incidental Take Permit (File No. 27490) to he University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology for the incidental take of ESA-listed sea turtles and sturgeon associated with the otherwise lawful fisheries survey activities within and adjacent to the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Wind Energy Area.

NMFS is proposing to issue an incidental take permit (ITP) to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology for the incidental take of ESA-listed sea turtles and sturgeon while conducting fisheries survey activities for the collection of baseline fisheries data prior to the construction of multiple offshore wind developments.