The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has received a request from the U.S. Navy to renew an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) for the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO). This renewal allows for the incidental taking of marine mammals during the construction needed for relocating NOAA research vessels at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island. The activities are nearly identical to those already analyzed in an existing authorization and the renewal will allow continuation for up to another year. NMFS has preliminarily determined that the proposed actions will not have a significant impact on marine mammals and seeks additional public comments before making a final decision.
Simple Explanation
The U.S. Navy wants to keep building at a place where they study the ocean, but sometimes that can bother ocean animals. They asked for permission to keep doing their work, and the government is making sure this won't hurt the animals too much and wants to know what people think about it.