SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT For Deep Sea Research within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) has decided to issue one research permit amendment (PMNM-2014-028-A1) and one conservation and management permit (PMNM-2015-028) to Dr. Amy Baco-Taylor of the Florida State University and Mr. Ross Barnes of the University of Hawai‘i for the project entitled: “Use of the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry and research vessel (R/V) Kilo Moana as the support platform for permitted research activities in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.” The goal of the project is to examine a series of locations in the far Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) to address the hypothesis, based on predictions of low resilience and decadal recovery times for seamounts, that deep-sea coral beds in the NWHI have not recovered despite the end of trawling over 30 years ago. "Environmental Assessment - Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Northwest Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii The FONSI and other memos were signed on October 30, 2014." The applicant's cruise begins on September 24, so the permits need to be approved by September 18 (the end of the previous week) and shared with the co-managers of the Monument.