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Appendix 10-C TDR MF-2

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Appendix 10-C TDR MF-2 APPENDIX AIR10-C Technical Data Reports Containing Habitat Maps at Local and Regional Scales TDR MF-2 - Marine Benthic Subtidal Study TDR PORT METRO VANCOUVER | Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Information Request Response This page is intentionally left blank ROBERTS BANK TERMINAL 2 TECHNICAL DATA REPORT Marine Invertebrates, Marine Fish & Fish Habitat Marine Benthic Subtidal Study Prepared for: Port Metro Vancouver 100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place Vancouver, B.C. V6C 3T4 Prepared by: Hemmera Envirochem Inc. 18th Floor, 4730 Kingsway Burnaby, BC V5H 0C6 August 2014 Port Metro Vancouver Hemmera RBT2 – Marine Benthic Subtidal Study August 2014 Technical Report / Technical Data Report Disclaimer The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency determined the scope of the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project (RBT2 or the Project) and the scope of the assessment in the Final Environmental Impact Statement Guidelines (EISG) issued January 7, 2014. The scope of the Project includes the project components and physical activities to be considered in the environmental assessment. The scope of the assessment includes the factors to be considered and the scope of those factors. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been prepared in accordance with the scope of the Project and the scope of the assessment specified in the EISG. For each component of the natural or human environment considered in the EIS, the geographic scope of the assessment depends on the extent of potential effects. At the time supporting technical studies were initiated in 2011, with the objective of ensuring adequate information would be available to inform the environmental assessment of the Project, neither the scope of the Project nor the scope of the assessment had been determined. Therefore, the scope of supporting studies may include physical activities that are not included in the scope of the Project as determined by the Agency. Similarly, the scope of supporting studies may also include spatial areas that are not expected to be affected by the Project. This out-of-scope information is included in the Technical Report (TR)/Technical Data Report (TDR) for each study, but may not be considered in the assessment of potential effects of the Project unless relevant for understanding the context of those effects or to assessing potential cumulative effects. Port Metro Vancouver Hemmera RBT2 – Marine Benthic Subtidal Study - i - August 2014 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project (RBT2 or the Project) is a proposed new three-berth marine terminal at Roberts Bank in Delta, B.C. The Project is part of PMV’s Container Capacity Improvement Program, a long-term strategy to deliver projects to meet anticipated growth in demand for container capacity to 2030. Hemmera has been retained by PMV to undertake environmental studies related to the Project. This technical data report describes the results of the Marine Benthic Subtidal Study. Roberts Bank and the surrounding waters of the Fraser River estuary support a rich assemblage of species, some of which are of high commercial, recreational, aboriginal or ecological value. A number of these species, including Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) and benthic finfish, namely flatfishes (order: Pleuronectiformes) and Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus; PSL), have been consistently documented within the Roberts Bank study area or are expected to occur based on identified habitat preferences. The purpose of the Marine Benthic Subtidal Study is to improve the current state of knowledge on fish and invertebrate species occurring within, and adjacent to, the proposed RBT2 footprint. Objectives include quantifying the distribution, densities, and habitat preferences of key species or species groups (listed above), and identifying sensitive life history stages. This study consists of a review of available literature and historic data, and two Project-specific field surveys: i) gravid female Dungeness crab SCUBA survey; and ii) remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) survey. SCUBA surveys were conducted to address existing data gaps on gravid (egg-bearing) female Dungeness crab densities and habitat preferences within shallow subtidal habitat at Roberts Bank during the winter brooding season, which extends approximately from October to March. During this period, female crabs concentrate in high numbers, completely or partially burying themselves in sediment, and remain relatively inactive while brooding their embryos. SCUBA results indicate that gravid female Dungeness crabs are present within the Roberts Bank study area; however, only individual gravid female crabs (i.e., no brooding aggregations) were encountered. The majority of gravid female crabs occurred within the deepest depth zone surveyed (i.e., from −10 to −20 m relative to chart datum; CD), suggesting that females may be residing in deeper water to brood, at depths beyond the reach of safe SCUBA dive limits (≤-18 m). The densities estimated in this study are comparable to gravid female crab densities estimated in previous SCUBA surveys at locations peripheral to brooding aggregations (e.g., <0.02 crabs/m2, O’Clair et al. 1996; <1 crab/m2, Stone and O’Clair 2002). The low density of gravid female crabs within the study area may reflect sampling efforts coinciding with the end of the brooding season, rather than the period of peak aggregations. Port Metro Vancouver Hemmera RBT2 – Marine Benthic Subtidal Study - ii - August 2014 Transect surveys completed using ROV were performed to quantitatively assess the summer distributions, densities, and habitat associations of Dungeness crabs, PSL, and flatfishes within the Roberts Bank study area. The surveys covered seabed depths greater than were accessible by benthic trawls and/or SCUBA divers (up to −40 m). Results show that depth is a major factor governing Dungeness crab density and total crab density among the surveyed locations, with highest densities occurring within the −10 to −20 m CD depth zone. Flatfish, as a group, were observed at all depths within the study area, and comprised the highest proportion of finfish observations. Flatfish density appeared to be highest within the −20 to −30 m depth zone and in coarse sand; however, no statistically significant differences were noted. ROV video imagery of flatfish species depicted consistent use of depths <−25 m, highlighting the importance of subtidal areas as flatfish habitat at Roberts Bank. Orange sea pens (Ptilosarcus gurneyi) were not targeted as a focal species by the ROV survey, but rather as a biogenic (i.e., habitat created by a living organism) component of habitat complexity. They were the most abundant invertebrate species recorded and were widely distributed across all transect sites. Orange sea pens were observed at depths ranging from −25 to −40 m CD, extending known sea pen habitat deeper than those documented in previous studies, which were constrained by depth limitations (i.e., −35 m CD) of towed underwater video (SIMS) equipment. Results indicate that orange sea pens preferred coarse sediments over fine sediments and shallow depths (e.g., −5 to −10 m CD) over deeper areas (e.g., −20 to −30; −30 to −40 m CD) (p ≤ 0.05). A weak negative relationship between total finfish density and sea pen density was noted (r2 = 0.013, p= 0.02), suggesting no obligatory relationship between these species; however, the functional relationships between orange sea pens and associated finfish may involve ecologically complex processes not captured in this study. Pacific sand lance were not observed during the ROV survey, possibly due to inherent sampling limitations for PSL associated with their small size and complex life history involving alternating benthic burrowing and pelagic foraging behaviours. While their presence and the presence of suitable burying habitat for this species in the subtidal zone at Roberts Bank have been confirmed through other studies, data gaps still exist relating to abundance, densities, and extent of suitable burying habitat within the Roberts Bank study area. Port Metro Vancouver Hemmera RBT2 – Marine Benthic Subtidal Study - iii - August 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... I 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 MARINE BENTHIC SUBTIDAL STUDY OVERVIEW ....................................................................... 1 2.0 REVIEW OF AVAILABLE LITERATURE AND DATA ................................................................... 3 2.1 DUNGENESS CRABS ............................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 Distribution ............................................................................................................. 3 2.1.2 Life History and Behaviour ..................................................................................... 3 2.1.3 Habitat Requirements and Limiting Factors ........................................................... 4 2.2 FLATFISH SPECIES ................................................................................................................. 6 2.2.1 Distribution ............................................................................................................
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