Progress Report Summarizing the Reef Fish Sampling, PCB Analysis Results

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Progress Report Summarizing the Reef Fish Sampling, PCB Analysis Results Progress report summarizing the reef fish sampling, PCB analysis results and visual monitoring associated with the Oriskany Reef, a decommissioned former Navy aircraft carrier sunk in 2006 as an artificial reef in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola, Florida Prepared by: Jon Dodrill, Keith Mille, and Bill Horn Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Florida Artificial Reef Program Division of Marine Fisheries Management 620 S. Meridian Street Tallahassee, FL 32399 and Robert Turpin Escambia County Marine Resources Division 3363 West Park Place Pensacola, FL 32505 Submitted April 13, 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. 3 List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ 4 List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... 5 Part I. EPA Monitoring Requirements, Oriskany Reef Project Historical Background, and Methodology for Field Sampling and Sample PCB Analysis Methodology (A) Introduction ........................................................................................................ 6 (B) Overview of PCBs .............................................................................................. 10 (C) Oriskany Reef Project Background History ...................................................... 13 (D) Materials and Methods ..................................................................................... 22 Part II. Results and Discussion (A) Sampling Additions to the Tier 1 Monitoring Work Plan (1) Visual Monitoring on the Oriskany Reef .................................................... 39 (2) Nearby Site #1 Assessment ....................................................................... 46 (3) University of West Florida Underwater Video Surveys .............................. 49 (4) Oriskany Reef Post Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Dive Reconnaissance .. 50 (B) Oriskany Reef Pilot Tagging Project ................................................................. 51 (C) Overview of the First Eight Rounds of Oriskany Reef Fish Sampling and Two Rounds of Nearby Reef Sampling ............................................................ 58 (D) PCB Analysis Results and Discussion for Each Species (1) Red Snapper ............................................................................................... 64 (2) Vermilion Snapper ...................................................................................... 76 (3) Red Porgy .................................................................................................... 80 (4) Whitebone Porgy ......................................................................................... 84 (5) Gray Triggerfish ........................................................................................... 88 (6) Scamp .......................................................................................................... 92 (E) Distribution of PCB Congeners by Homologs ................................................... 96 (F) Other Discussion Issues .................................................................................... 96 (G) Summary ........................................................................................................... 106 Part III, Suggested options for future actions through December 2011 .......................... 107 References Cited .................................................................................................................. 108 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. 115 Appendix 1, Tables ............................................................................................................... 116 Appendix 2, Sample FWC underwater fish census sheet .................................................. 136 2 | Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In compliance with the Tier 1 monitoring requirements of the risk-based PCB bulk product waste disposal approval document issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the U.S. Navy, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Escambia County, this report summarizes the results of the first four years of reef fish sampling, PCB analysis, and dive assessment monitoring of the Oriskany Reef, a decommissioned former aircraft carrier deployed in May 2006 as an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico, 23.5 nm southeast of Pensacola, FL. Between December 14, 2006, and November 18, 2010, eight reef fish sample collection events funded by FWC were completed resulting in a total of 315 legal size reef fish retained for skin-on congener-specific analysis of 209 PCB congeners (254 fish from the Oriskany Reef, and 61 fish from the nearby Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge Reef). The 254 retained reef fish from the Oriskany Reef included: 184 red snapper, 42 vermilion snapper, 14 red porgy, 6 whitebone porgy, 4 scamp grouper, 2 gray triggerfish, and 1 red grouper. Initially the mean PCB level for fish samples from the Oriskany Reef collected within the first two years post-deployment (sample rounds 1-4) had combined mean total PCB values exceeding the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) screening value of 50 ppb and the EPA screening value of 20 ppb. By sample round 5, collected at 2.9 years, the mean PCB level measured decreased to below the FDOH value and slightly above the EPA value. By sample round 6 and 7, collected at 3.5 and 3.9 years, the mean PCB levels were below both the FDOH and EPA thresholds. Sample round 8 samples (n=39), collected at 4.5 years are currently being processed and are expected by June 2011. Sample round 9 is scheduled for April 26, 2011 (4.9 years post- deployment). The species with the highest PCB levels observed included red snapper (n=172), red porgy (n=7), and whitebone porgy (n=4). No samples of vermillion snapper (n=28) or scamp (n=1) exceeded the FDOH or EPA thresholds. Overall, these results indicate a declining trend during the last 2 years of sampling. Additionally, 10 underwater visual assessments were conducted on the Oriskany Reef by FWC divers, confirming the observed recreationally targeted species found on the Oriskany are well represented among the fish retained for PCB analysis. Visual observations by FWC divers also documented that the Oriskany Reef had settled into the sediments about 10 ft at 2.5 years post deployment and sustained minor structural change to the exterior covering of the smoke stack at 3.5 years post deployment following the tropical storm events of 2007 and 2008, respectively. Results from 199 fish tagged and released on the Oriskany reef provide preliminary reef fish site fidelity and considerations of localized fishing effort. Review of the results of other FWC funded reef fish research projects in the vicinity are discussed as they relate to the fish species sampled on the Oriskany Reef. Options for consideration of future sample collection efforts at the Oriskany Reef through the end of 2011 are provided. 3 | Page LIST OF TABLES Table Page No. 1. FWC dive assessments completed on the Oriskany Reef .......................... 44 2. Fish species observed on the Oriskany Reef (sorted by percent sighting frequency and density) ................................................................................. 117 3. Fish species observed on the Oriskany Reef (sorted by density) .............. 118 4. Fish species observed on the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge #1 .............. 119 5. UWF fish census data from Escambia East LAARS Refugia Reefs (sorted by percent number) .......................................................................... 119 6. UWF fish census data from Escambia East LAARS Refugia Reefs (sorted by percent biomass) ......................................................................... 121 7. Comparison of the ranking of the 9 fish species targeted for PCB sampling observed during FWC and UWF fish census surveys ................. 50 8. Fish species tagged at the Oriskany Reef on April 21, 2009 .................... 56 8a. Fish species recaptured through March 28, 2011 .................................... 57 9. Fish discarded and not kept for PCB analysis ............................................ 123 10. List of sampling platform, gear, locations, and number of fish retained for each sampling date ................................................................................. 58 11. Mean total length of red snapper by sample round ................................... 71 12. Correlation matrix of variables measured in red snapper samples from the Oriskany Reef .......................................................................................... 74 13. PCB concentrations of reef fish from the Oriskany Reef collected during sampling rounds 1-8 ..................................................................................... 126 14. PCB concentrations of reef fish from the Pensacola Bay Bridge Fishing Reef “Nearby Reef” collected during sampling rounds 3 & 4 ................... 131 15. Percent composition of total PCBs by homologs from fish collected from the Pensacola Bay Bridge Fishing Reef “Nearby Reef” ..................... 133 16a.Percent composition of total PCBs by homologs from fish collected from the Oriskany Reef(OR-GT-175 through OR-RS-090) .........................
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