Justification - Sea Turtle Facial Recognition

CSC PROJECT 51: Sea Turtle Facial Recognition

Program Office Sponsoring or Conducting this CSC Project: NMFS/PIFSC

Authority for the Scientific Activities of this CSC Project: CZMA, NEPA and ESA

Purpose of this CSC Project: This project provides information NMFS uses in making abundance estimates for sea turtles in the Pacific Islands Region

Type(s) of Information Collected and From Whom It Is Collected: This project collects turtle sighting information including photos, GPS location, and date/time.

Use of the Information: NMFS uses this information to inform status assessments and critical habitat designations.

Method(s) of Information Collection: electronically, email

Affected Public: Individuals or households; Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal government; Federal government

Estimated Average Annual Number of Participants: 300

Estimated Average Annual Number of Responses per Participant: 2

Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 5

Estimated Average Annual Burden Hours: 50

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Participants in this CSC Project: $500

Estimated Average Annual Costs to the Federal Government: $10,000

Estimated Average Annual Number of Federal Government Employees (FTEs): 0.06

Recruitment and Retention Methods for Voluntary Participants (SSA item 1): The Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program uses the Internet of Turtles (by WildMe) to upload PIFSC-collected photos of sea turtles; the public can also upload their own photos of sea turtles in order to identify the turtle via facial recognition software (created by WildMe). The public finds out about the facial recognition project when visiting the PIFSC website and they then gain access to the Internet of Turtles to upload their photos by emailing someone in the MTBAP. Generally public inquiries to get involved in the project are obtained through the NMFS PIC Web Info email address ([email protected]) the stranding response email ([email protected]), or emailing an employee in the MTBAP.

Gifts or Payments (SSA Item 9): We do not plan to provide a gift or payment to the voluntary participants.

Annual and Multi-Year Schedules (SSA Item 16): Beginning Date: 2021; Ending date: not applicable; completion of report(s): potential creation of a NOAAverse website for reporting out of data, publication date: annual inclusion of data in project reports that use the data.

Display OMB Control No. and Expiration Date (SSA Item 17): This information will be provided when individuals sign up to participate in this CSC project.

Statistical Methods: This CSC project will not employ statistical methods.

Approval for Pretesting: This CSC project will not require additional pretesting with more than nine members of the public.

Supplemental Documents: The supplemental document for this CSC project is a file with screenshots from the data entry app on a WildMe website.

CERTIFICATION: I certify the following are true.

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. NOAA designed this project to contribute to research and science, not to collect highly influential scientific information, which is information NOAA or OMB determines: (i) could have a potential impact of more than $500 million in any year, or (ii) is novel, controversial, or precedent setting or has significant interagency interest.

5. The collection complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

6. The collection will provide qualitative and quantitative data that help inform scientific research and monitoring, validate models or tools, support STEM learning, and enhance the quantity and quality of data collected to support NOAA’s mission.

Name: Camryn D. Allen