Deltaport Third Berth

Marine Mammal Monitoring Program

By Marianne Gilbert

WhitWelles

h)p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Image:Humpback_stellwagen_edit.jpg#file

AndreasTrepte

h)p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Image:Common_Seal_Phoca_vitulina.jpg

Outline

1.  Background

  Who/What/Why?

2. Program Design (How?):

  Acoustic modeling

  Monitoring/surveys

3. Results:

  Acoustic models – zones of influence

  Monitoring/surveys:

•  Survey results

•  Daily monitoring (Hemmera)

4. Preliminary trends

5. Summary and Conclusions

Background

Who? Jacques Whitford AXYS and JASCO Research

What?

  Marine Mammal Monitoring Program

  Preliminary Survey Results (final report - 2009)

Why?

  DP3 environmental assessment: potential effects

on marine mammals (Southern Resident Killer

Whales) from:

 Dredging

 Vibro-densification

  Need for marine mammal monitoring

Background (cont’d)

1.  Endangered Southern

Resident population

2.  Construction is taking place in

critical habitat

3.  KW use sound for:

  Navigation

  Communication

  Foraging

4. Marine Mammal Regulations

(Section 7 of Fisheries Act)

prohibit the disturbance of

marine mammals

5. Specified in the Authorization

Noise is of particular concern for Killer Whales because:

Many other marine mammals that use this area may also be affected by

construction noise:

 Harbour Seals  Steller Sea Lions

 California Sea Lions

 Dall’s Porpoises  Harbour Porpoises

 Grey Whales  Humpback Whales

Background (cont’d)

Peak use of area

Summer-Fall

Malene Thyssen, http://

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Malene h)p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Steller_sealions_bc_1.jpg

h)p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lion_de_mer_Amn

%C3%A9ville_01.jpg

h)p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Image:Dalls_Porpoise_Back.jpg

h)p://www.moc.noaa.gov/mf/

visitor/las12/photos.htm

www.pbase.com/lightrae/image/76044030

RalphEldridgeMACHIASSEALISLAND,NEWBRUNSWICK,CANADA

h)p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DSC_7334.JPG

Program Design Overview

Task DescripKon

1 AcousTcModeling(Pre‐construcTon)

• Ambientnoisemeasurements

• ZonesofInfluence(ZOI)ofnoiseonkillerwhales

2 ReportandRecommendaTonsforMarineMammal

Monitoring

3 ValidaTonofPre‐construcTonAcousTcModelingResults

4 MarineMammalMonitoringandsurveys

5 Deltaport3rdBerthKillerWhaleStudyandReport

6 MarineMammalAwareness‐Pamphlet

Why?

1. Collect noise data in project area

2. Predict noise levels

3. Update predictions based on real equipment

How?

1.  Field work to collect acoustic data

  Background/ambient noise

  Columbia dredge

  Vibro-densification

2.  Computer modeling of

Zones of Influence (ZOI)

Acoustic Program

Columbia Dredge

Vibro-densifier

Hydrophone

Acoustic Results – Ambient Noise

Acoustic Results – Zones of Influence

Columbia Dredging

Zone of influence (audible @ < 1000m)

Vibro-densification

Zone of influence (audible @ <130m)

Acoustic Program Conclusions

  Hearing damage unlikely; only limited to areas

very close to activities (<10m)

  Behavioural disturbances limited to inter-causeway area (<1 km)

  Sound masking may take place outside the inter-causeway area

  1 km monitoring radius appropriate

Marine Mammal Monitoring

Regular Monitoring

Regular monitoring performed by On-Site monitors (Hemmera) to

implement recommended mitigation:

 Detailed visual monitoring protocol developed to locate, track and

observe marine mammals in area (if detected)

 Shut down of operations when Killer Whales are within 1km

distance.

Why?

  Obtain additional seasonal information

  Determine potential changes in marine mammal use near Deltaport from

construction activities (baseline studies conducted 2003-2004)

How?

Surveys conducted by two Marine Mammal Observers

  Marine mammal species

  Numbers and location

  Behaviour

  Environmental conditions

Marine Mammal Monitoring Field Surveys

Planned Survey Transect Lines

Where?

Survey Dates

2007 2008 2009

  June20th   June30th

  August22nd

  September27th   September29th

  January25th   January

  May1st

Baseline Surveys done in 2003-2004

Construction Activities During Surveys

SurveyDate

ConstrucKon

AcKvity

June August September January May

2007 2008 2008 2007 2008 2008 2008

Dredging

Vibro‐DensificaKon

Other

Holiday–

limited

acTvity

Placementof

type‐A

protecTon

rock.

Pile

extracTon

atTed

bulkhead

Clamshell

placement

ofrock

Becker

standard

penetraT

ontesTng

(SPT)

PileDriving

oftemporary

pileswith

vibro‐head.

BeckerSPT

Preliminary Survey Results

SurveyDate

Species June August September January May

2007 2008 2008 2007 2008 2008 2008

Residentkillerwhale 25‐30  ~40 

Harbourseal 3 101 47 2 16 4 23

Harbourporpoise 9 10 58 1 7 2 15

Humpbackwhale 2

Stellersealion 1

Dall’sporpoise 2

UnidenKfiedporpoise 1

UnidenKfiedpinniped 2

Total 14 113 129‐134 46 23 7 38

Harbour Seal Distribution

h)p://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Image:Seehund.jpg

Harbour Porpoise Distribution

Malene Thyssen, http://

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Malene

Killer whales and other Marine Mammals

Killer Whale Identification

Identification of J17 female. Activities Observed:

  Travelling

  Foraging

  Breaching

  Lob-tailing

Surveys have identified both J-pod

and L-pod.

Marine Mammal Densities in Relation to DP3

Construction - PRELIMINARY

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Density(numbersperkm

2)

RangefromConstrucKon(km)

MarineMammalSurveyDensiKes(km2)

vs.

DistancefromConstrucKon(km)

KillerWhales

HarbourSeal

HarbourPorpoise

HumpbackWhale

StellarSeaLion

Dall'sPorpoise

UnidenTfiedPorpoise

UnidenTfiedPinniped

Summary of Marine Mammal Observations

Killer Whales:

  L and J-Pods were seen off effort in 2 out of 7 of the surveys

conducted (September 2007 & August 2008).

  Presence consistent with known seasonal use of area for feeding on

returning salmon.

  Construction, vessel & crabbing activities during these surveys did

not appear to deter them from utilizing Roberts Bank.

Humpback Whales:

  Two were seen on June 2008

  During limited construction activity

Harbour Seals:

  Most abundant marine mammal

  Greatest numbers seen in late June 2008 survey prior to pupping season

  No apparent effect from construction

Harbour Porpoises:

  Most abundant in August 2008 survey

  Possible pattern – more analysis required

Summary of Marine Mammal Observations

Questions and Comments