3.8 Reptiles
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Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing Draft EIS/OEIS June 2017 Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.8 Reptiles ............................................................................................................ 3.8-1 3.8.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3.8-3 3.8.2 Affected Environment ......................................................................................... 3.8-3 3.8.2.1 General Background ........................................................................... 3.8-3 3.8.2.2 Endangered Species Act-Listed Species ............................................ 3.8-12 3.8.2.3 Species Not Listed under the Endangered Species Act .................... 3.8-40 3.8.3 Environmental Consequences .......................................................................... 3.8-40 3.8.3.1 Acoustic Stressors ............................................................................. 3.8-41 3.8.3.2 Explosive Stressors ............................................................................ 3.8-76 3.8.3.3 Energy Stressors .............................................................................. 3.8-114 3.8.3.4 Physical Disturbance and Strike Stressors ...................................... 3.8-123 3.8.3.5 Entanglement Stressors .................................................................. 3.8-141 3.8.3.6 Ingestion Stressors .......................................................................... 3.8-154 3.8.3.7 Secondary Stressors ........................................................................ 3.8-166 3.8.4 Summary of Potential Impacts on Reptiles ..................................................... 3.8-172 3.8.4.1 Combined Impacts of All Stressors Under Alternative 1 ................ 3.8-172 3.8.4.2 Combined Impacts of All Stressors Under Alternative 2 ................ 3.8-173 3.8.4.3 Combined Impacts of All Stressors Under the No Action Alternative ...................................................................................... 3.8-174 3.8.4.4 Endangered Species Act Determinations ....................................... 3.8-174 List of Figures Figure 3.8-1: Dive Depth and Duration Summaries for Sea Turtle Species ............................................ 3.8-5 Figure 3.8-2: Generalized Dive Profiles and Activities Described for Sea Turtles ................................... 3.8-6 Figure 3.8-3: Composite Underwater Audiogram for Sea Turtles .......................................................... 3.8-7 Figure 3.8-4: Critical Habitat Designated for the Green Sea Turtles in the Study Area ........................ 3.8-15 Figure 3.8-5: Critical Habitat Designation for the Hawksbill Sea Turtle within the Study Area............ 3.8-20 Figure 3.8-6: Critical Habitat Designation for the Loggerhead Turtle within the Study Area: Mid-Atlantic ..................................................................................................................... 3.8-26 Figure 3.8-7: Critical Habitat Designation for the Loggerhead Turtle within the Study Area: Southeast ......................................................................................................................... 3.8-27 Figure 3.8-8: Critical Habitat Designation for the Loggerhead Turtle within the Study Area: Gulf of Mexico .................................................................................................................. 3.8-28 i Table of Contents Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing Draft EIS/OEIS June 2017 Figure 3.8-9: Critical Habitat Designation for the Leatherback Sea Turtle within the Study Area .................................................................................................................................. 3.8-33 Figure 3.8-10: Critical Habitat Designation for the American Crocodile within the Study Area .......... 3.8-37 Figure 3.8-11: Auditory Weighting Function for Sea Turtles ................................................................ 3.8-47 Figure 3.8-12: TTS and PTS Exposure Functions for Sonar and Other Transducers.............................. 3.8-48 Figure 3.8-13: Kemp’s ridley sea turtle impacts estimated per year from sonar and other transducers used during testing under Alternative 1. No PTS is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-52 Figure 3.8-14: Loggerhead sea turtle impacts estimated per year from sonar and other transducersused during testing under Alternative 1. No PTS is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-53 Figure 3.8-15: Leatherback sea turtle impacts estimated per year from sonar and other transducersused during testing under Alternative 1. No PTS is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-54 Figure 3.8-16: Kemp’s ridley sea turtle impacts estimated per year from sonar and other transducers used during testing under Alternative 2. No PTS is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-57 Figure 3.8-17: Loggerhead sea turtle impacts estimated per year from sonar and other transducers used during testing under Alternative 2. No PTS is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-58 Figure 3.8-18: Leatherback sea turtle impacts estimated per year from sonar and other transducers used during testing under Alternative 2. No PTS is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-59 Figure 3.8-19: TTS and PTS Exposure Functions for Impulsive Sounds ................................................. 3.8-61 Figure 3.8-20 Auditory Weighting Function for Sea Turtles ................................................................. 3.8-84 Figure 3.8-21 TTS and PTS Exposure Functions for Impulsive Sounds .................................................. 3.8-85 Figure 3.8-22: Green sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during training under Alternative 1. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-91 Figure 3.8-23: Kemp’s ridley sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during training under Alternative 1. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. ............................................................................................... 3.8-92 Figure 3.8-24: Loggerhead sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during training under Alternative 1. ................................................................................ 3.8-93 Figure 3.8-25: Leatherback sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during training under Alternative 1. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. ............................................................................................... 3.8-94 Figure 3.8-26: Green sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during testing under Alternative 1. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. ...................................................................................................................... 3.8-97 ii Table of Contents Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing Draft EIS/OEIS June 2017 Figure 3.8-27: Kemp’s ridley sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during testing under Alternative 1. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. ................................................................................................................ 3.8-98 Figure 3.8-28: Loggerhead sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during testing under Alternative 1. ................................................................................. 3.8-99 Figure 3.8-29: Leatherback sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during testing under Alternative 1. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. .............................................................................................................. 3.8-100 Figure 3.8-30: Estimated Impacts on Sea Turtles from a Small Ship Shock Trial ................................ 3.8-101 Figure 3.8-31: Estimated Impacts on Sea Turtles from a Large Ship Shock Trial ................................ 3.8-102 Figure 3.8-32: Green sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during training under Alternative 2. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. .................................................................................................................... 3.8-105 Figure 3.8-33: Kemp’s ridley sea turtle impacts estimated per year from explosions that occur during training under Alternative 2. No injury (non-auditory) is estimated for this species. ............................................................................................. 3.8-106