Environmental assessment, University of Hawaiʻi (UH) Marine Center and Hawaiʻi Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) Vessel Operations, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands University of Hawaiʻi (UH) Marine Center and Hawai'i Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) Vessel Operations, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

"This environmental assessment evaluates the impacts of allowing the HURL program and the UH Marine Center to use the Pisces IV and Pisces V submersibles, the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and the University of Hawaiʻi research vessel KAʻIMIKAI-O-KANALOA (KOK) as support platforms for permitted research activities in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). An annual conservation and management permit would be issued to the UH Marine Center for operations of the research vessel KOK, and an annual research permit would be issued to HURL for operations of the Pisces submersibles, ROV, and voucher specimen collections each year for a five year period. Both permits would be issued by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Hawaiʻi, as co-trustees of the monument. The assessment finds that the individual and cumulative impacts of this action are not significant. Accordingly, the environmental assessment has resulted in a finding of no significant image (FONSI) "--Summary from cover letter.