Beaufort Sea Monitoring Program
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Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program Beaufort Sea Monitoring Program: Proceedings of a Workshop and Sampling Design Recommendations Beaufort Sea Monitoring Program: Proceedings of a Workshop (September 1983) and Sampling Design Recommendations ; Prepared for the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program Juneau, Alaska by J. P. Houghton Dames & Moore 155 N.E. lOOth Street Seattle, WA 98125 with D. A Segar J. E. Zeh SEAM Ocean Inc. Department of Statistics Po. Box 1627 University of Washington Wheaton, MD 20902 Seattle, WA 98195 April 1984 UNITED STATES UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Malcolm Baldridge, Secretary William P Clark, Secretary NATIONAL OCEANIC AND MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION William D. Bettenberg, Director John V. Byrne, Administrator r. NOTICES i? I This report has been reviewed by the US. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program office, and approved for publication. The interpretation of data and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and workshop participants. Approval does not necessarily signify that the contents reflect the views and policies of the Department of Commerce or those of the Department of the Interior. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) does not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned in this publica tion. No reference shall be made to NOAA or to this publication in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NOAA approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary'product or proprietary material mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchas'ed because of this publication. r CONTENTS Page 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 1 1.1 Background ....................' . 1 1.2 Workshop Proceedings ... 1 1.3 Recommended Monitoring Program .. 1 1.4 Other Considerations. .'. 4 2. INTRODUCTION ....................................................... 5 2.1 General.........................................................,. 5 2.2 Statutory Mandates. .. 5 2.3 MMS/NOAA Cooperation in DCS Environmental Studies. : . 7 2.4 Ongoing Research and Monitoring Programs in the Beaufort Sea. 7 2.4.1 Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program . 7 2.4.2 Minerals Management Service. 8 2.4.3 National Marine Fisheries Service. .. 8 2.4.4 North Slope Borough .......................................... 8 2.4.5 State of Alaska ............................................... 8 2.4.6 Other U.S. Monitoring Programs. 10 2.4.7 Canadian Beaufort Sea Monitoring. 10 2.5 Workshop Purpose,Objectives, and Approach. 10 2.6 Study Area ......... ; . .. ....................................... 11 2.7 Monjtoring Program Objectives . .. 11 2.8 Consultant's Role. 11 3. WORKSHOP SUMMARY AND SYNTHESIS ............................. -. 13 3.1 Workshop Framework ................................... , ..'. 13 3.2 Factors That May Cause Effects. 15 3.3 Other Monitoring Programs. 15 3.3.1 Mussel Watch ................................................ 15 3.3.2 EPA Ocean Discharges Monitoring. .. 17 3.3.3 Clean Water Act Section 301(h) Programs .............. ; . 19 3.3.4 Prudhoe Bay Waterflood Benthic Monitoring Program Analysis. 19 3.3.5 Georges Bank Monitoring Program. 19 3.3.6 California OCS Long-Term Effects Study. .. 20 3.4 Physical Environment ................................................ 20 3.4.1 Ice Conditions ................ , . 20 3.4.2 Circulation................................................... 21 3.4.3 Monitoring Considerations ............. , . 23 3.5 Biological Environment . 26 3.5.1 Primary Producers. 26 3.5.2 Benthos..................................................... 26 3.5.3 Fish........................................................ 27 3.5.4 Birds....................................................... 27 3.5.5 Marine Mammals. 28 3.6 Monitoring Indices and Approaches ..................................... 29 3.6.1 Geochemical Indices. 29 3.6.2 Microbial Indices. .. ...................... 30 3.6.3 Biological Community Studies, Sublethal Effects Studies ............... 33 3.6.4 Infaunal Trophic Index. .. 36 v CONTENTS (continued) Page 3.7 Workshop Synthesis Session . 36 3.7.1 Monitoring Program Management Goals . 36 3.7.2 Proposed Hypotheses and Approaches to Regionwide Monitoring. 37 3.7.2.1 Trace Metals. 37 3.7.2.2 Petroleum Hydrocarbons . 37 3.7.2.3 Bowhead Whales. 37 3.7.2.4 Anadromous Fish ...................................... 38 3.7.2.5 Oldsquaw............................................. 38 3.7.3 Related Considerations ... 40 3.7.3.1 Physical Environmental Data . 40 3.7.3.2 Quality Assurance .... 42 3.7.3.3 Data Management. 42 3.7.3.4 Oversampling and Storing. 42 3.7.3.5 Coordination of Biological and Chemical Sampling. 42 3.7.4 Hypotheses and Approaches Considered But Not Included in the Recommended Program . 43 3.7.4.1 Common Eider Nesting. 43 3.7.4.2 Boulder Patch Kelp ..... 43 3.7.4.3 Indicators of Organism Health. 43 3.7.4.4 PhYSical Environment. 44 3.7.4.5 Benthos ........................ '. 44 4. STATISTICAL EVALUATIONS. .. 47 4.1 General Considerations. 47 4.2 Specific Evaluations. .. 47 4.2.1 Sediment Chemistry Network. .. 47 4.2.2 Biological Monitors/Sentinel Organisms ............................ 51 4.2.3 Bowhead Whales ............................................. 53 4.2.4 Anadromous Fish ...................................... 56 4.2.5 Oldsquaw................................................... 58 4.2.6 Common Eider Nestjng . 64 4.2.7 Boulder Patch Kelp Community Structure. 64 5. RECOMMENDED SAMPLING DESIGN ...................................... , 67 5.1 General........................................................... 67 5.2 Monitoring Rationale. 67 5.3 Specific Hypotheses and Approaches ...................... ; . 68 5.3.1 Sediment Chemistry Network . 68 5.3. 1.1 Statistical Design ....................................... 68 5.3.1.2 Sampling Considerations. .. 71 5.3.1.3 Analytical Considerations. 72 5.3.2 Biological Monitors/Sentinel Organisms ............................ 74 5.3.2.1 General . 74 5.3.2.2 Desirable Attributes of Candidate Species ...... 74 5.3.2.3 Candidate Indigenous Species. .. 77 5.3.2.4 Recommended Approach to Establishing a Beaufort Sea Mussel Watch . 77 5.3.3 Marine Mammals ................... "....'. 80 5.3.3.1 Continuation of Aerial Transect Surveys ..................... 80 5.3.3.2 Continued Collection of Behavioral Data. .. 81 5.3.3.3 Additional Marine Mammal Studies. 82 vi CONTENTS (continued) Page 5.3.4 Anadromous Fish ............................................. 83 5.3.5 Oldsquaw................................................... 83 5.3.6 Common Eider Nesting. 84 5.3.1 Kelp Community Structure in the Boulder Patch. 84 5.4 Need for a Beaufort Sea Monitoring Data Base ............................ 85 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 86 REFERENCES 87 APPENDIX A List of Attendees, Beaufort Sea Monitoring Program Workshop 93 APPENDIX B" Detailed Statistical Approach to Sediment Chemistry Modeling . 97 APPENDIX C! Statistical Background for Confidence Intervals and Tests . .. .. 109 I vii 5£ FIGURES Figure Page 2-1 Beaufort Sea Study Area .............................................. 12 3-1 Probability of Detection Versus Detectable Difference in Number of Individuals. 20 3-2 Current Patterns Under Northeast Wind Conditions .' ~ Prudhoe Bay to Oliktok Point Area. 22 !' 3-3 Current Patterns Under Northwest Wind Conditions Prudhoe Bay to Oliktok Point Area. 25 3-4 Population Trends of Arctic Cisco Based Upon CPUE, Model, and Mark-Recapture Data From the Helmericks' Commercial Fishery, 1967-1981 .. 40 Areawide Sediment Chemistry Sampling Stations. .. 49 Sediment Monitoring Network Block Configurations . 52 Colville Delta CPUE for Arctic Cisco and Arctic Char Aerial~ndexCounts From Three North Slope Rivers 57 Estimated Densities of Molting Oldsquaws Using Simpson and Stump Island Lagoons. ..