Ketchikan Berth IV Expansion Project, Harbor Porpoises Were Observed Zero to Once Per Month (Freitag Et Al
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Incidental Harassment Authorization Request KTN Berth III New Mooring Dolphins Project Request for an Incidental Harassment Authorization Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for the Berth III New Mooring Dolphins Project City of Ketchikan Port and Harbors Ketchikan, Alaska Draft September 2020 Submitted to: National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3226 Prepared by: PND Engineers, Inc. 1736 4th Ave S., Suite A Seattle, WA 98134 (206) 524-1387 Page | i Incidental Harassment Authorization Request KTN Berth III New Mooring Dolphins Project This page left blank. Page | ii Incidental Harassment Authorization Request KTN Berth III New Mooring Dolphins Project TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................. vii 1 Description of the Activity ......................................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 1.2 Project Purpose and Need ................................................................................................................................ 8 1.3 Project Description .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Permanent Dolphin Piles ............................................................................................................................ 11 Temporary Template Piles ......................................................................................................................... 11 Dolphin Caps ................................................................................................................................................ 12 Catwalk .......................................................................................................................................................... 12 2 Dates, Duration, and Region of Activity ............................................................................................................... 14 2.1 Dates and Duration .......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Region of Activity ............................................................................................................................................. 14 2.3 Physical Setting ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Prey Species .................................................................................................................................................. 16 Marine Debris and Pollution ...................................................................................................................... 18 2.4 Acoustic Environment .................................................................................................................................... 19 Underwater Noise ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Airborne Noise ............................................................................................................................................. 20 3 Species and Number of Marine Mammals ............................................................................................................ 21 4 Affected Species Status and Distribution .............................................................................................................. 23 4.1 Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) ..................................................................................................... 23 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 23 Population and Distribution ...................................................................................................................... 23 Status in the Action Area ............................................................................................................................ 24 Life History ................................................................................................................................................... 25 Acoustic Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 25 Humpback Whale Critical Habitat ............................................................................................................ 25 4.2 Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) ............................................................................................................... 25 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 25 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 26 Status in the Action Area ............................................................................................................................ 26 Life History ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Acoustic Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 27 Steller Sea Lion Critical Habitat ................................................................................................................. 28 4.3 Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) .............................................................................................................................. 28 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 28 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 29 Status in the Action Area ............................................................................................................................ 29 Life History ................................................................................................................................................... 30 Acoustic Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 30 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 30 Status in the Action Area ............................................................................................................................ 30 Life History ................................................................................................................................................... 31 Acoustic Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 31 4.5 Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) ............................................................................................................... 31 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 31 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 31 Page | iii Incidental Harassment Authorization Request KTN Berth III New Mooring Dolphins Project Status in the Action Area ............................................................................................................................ 32 Life History ................................................................................................................................................... 32 Acoustic Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 32 4.6 Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) ................................................................................................................................ 33 Status .............................................................................................................................................................. 33 Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 33 Status in the Action Area ...........................................................................................................................