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Marine Fauna) SPECTRUM SLR Project No. 720.20081.00002 Proposed Speculative 2D Seismic Survey off the West Coast of South Africa: Draft EMP July 2021 APPENDIX 5: BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IMPACT ASSESSMENT (MARINE FAUNA) PROPOSED 2D MULTI-CLIENT SEISMIC SURVEY IN THE ORANGE BASIN OFF THE WEST COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Assessment Prepared for: On behalf of Spectrum Geo Limited May 2021 With contributions by Natasha Karenyi (SANBI) Simon Elwen Namibian Dolphin Project Sea Search Research & Conservation OWNERSHIP OF REPORTS AND COPYRIGHTS © 2021 Pisces Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. All Rights Reserved. This document is the property of the author. The information, ideas and structure are subject to the copyright laws or statutes of South Africa and may not be reproduced in part or in whole, or disclosed to a third party, without prior written permission of the author. Copyright in all documents, drawings and records, whether produced manually or electronically, that form part of this report shall vest in Pisces Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. None of the documents, drawings or records may be used or applied in any manner, nor may they be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever for or to any other person, without the prior written consent of Pisces, except when they are reproduced for purposes of the report objectives as part of the ESIA undertaken by SLR Environmental Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd. Contact Details: Andrea Pulfrich Pisces Environmental Services PO Box 302, McGregor 6708, South Africa, Tel: +27 21 782 9553 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.pisces.co.za IMPACTS ON MARINE FAUNA – 2D Seismic Survey in the Orange Basin, South Africa TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. iii ABBREVIATIONS AND UNITS ...................................................................................... xi EXPERTISE AND DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ........................................................... xiv 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 1.1 Scope of Work ....................................................................................... 1 1.2 Approach to the Study ............................................................................. 2 1.3 Assumptions, Limitations and Information Gaps ................................................ 2 1.4 Assessment Procedure .............................................................................. 3 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................................................................. 4 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE BASELINE MARINE ENVIRONMENT .................................................. 6 3.1 Geophysical Characteristics ....................................................................... 6 3.1.1 Bathymetry ................................................... 6 3.1.2 Coastal and Inner-shelf Geology and Seabed Geomorphology .................... 8 3.2 Biophysical Characteristics ........................................................................ 9 3.2.1 Wind Patterns ................................................... 9 3.2.2 Large-Scale Circulation and Coastal Currents ..................................... 13 3.2.3 Waves and Tides .................................................. 15 3.2.4 Water .................................................. 17 3.2.5 Upwelling & Plankton Production 17 3.2.6 Organic Inputs .................................................. 17 3.2.7 Low Oxygen Events .................................................. 18 3.2.8 Turbidity .................................................. 19 3.3 The Biological Environment ...................................................................... 20 3.3.1 Demersal Communities .................................................. 21 3.3.2 Seamount Communities .................................................. 29 3.3.3 Pelagic Communities .................................................. 33 3.4 Other Uses of the Area ............................................................................ 65 3.4.1 Beneficial Uses .................................................. 65 3.4.2 Conservation Areas and Marine Protected Areas .................................. 67 4. ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS ..................................................................................... 80 4.1 Identification of Impacts .......................................................................... 80 Pisces Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd i IMPACTS ON MARINE FAUNA – 2D Seismic Survey in the Orange Basin, South Africa 4.2 Application of the Mitigation Hierarchy ........................................................ 81 4.3 Acoustic Impacts of Seismic Surveys on Marine Fauna ........................................ 81 4.3.1 Impacts of Seismic Noise on Whales and Dolphins ................................ 84 4.3.2 Impacts of Seismic Noise on Seals ................................................ 102 4.3.3 Impacts of Seismic Noise on Turtles ............................................... 107 4.3.4 Impacts of Seismic Noise on Seabirds ............................................. 113 4.3.5 Impacts of Seismic Noise on Fish ................................................ 117 4.3.6 Impacts of Seismic Noise on Marine Invertebrates .............................. 125 4.3.7 Impacts of Seismic Noise on Plankton (including ichthyoplankton) ........... 130 4.4 Other Impacts of Seismic Surveys on Marine Fauna ......................................... 133 4.4.1 Impact of Vessel Noise on Marine Fauna .......................................... 133 4.4.2 Impact of Survey Vessel Lighting on Pelagic Fauna ............................. 136 4.4.3 Impact of Hull Fouling and Ballast Water Discharge ............................ 139 4.4.4 Impacts of Waste Discharges to Sea ............................................... 143 4.5 Unplanned Events ................................................................................ 147 4.5.1 Faunal Strikes with Project Vessels and Equipment ............................ 147 4.5.2 Accidental Loss of Equipment ................................................ 151 4.5.3 Release of diesel to sea during bunkering or due to vessel accident ......... 154 4.6 Confounding Effects and Cumulative Impacts ............................................... 159 5. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................... 161 5.1 Key Findings ...................................................................................... 161 5.2 Environmental Acceptability ................................................................... 162 5.3 Recommendations ............................................................................... 162 6. LITERATURE CITED .......................................................................................... 170 Pisces Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd ii IMPACTS ON MARINE FAUNA – 2D Seismic Survey in the Orange Basin, South Africa EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Spectrum Geo Limited proposes to undertake 2D seismic acquisition in the Orange Basin off the West Coast of South Africa. The survey will comprise the acquisition of 14 100 km of 2D seismic data over a period of ~150 days. The survey is anticipated to commence in December 2021. The Reconnaissance Permit Area is located in water depths >100 m extending off the shelf break to depths of ~ 4 500 m off the South African West Coast between Alexander Bay and Cape Point. The seabed sediments comprise sands, sandy muds and muddy sands. Although influenced by the Benguela Current the Reconnaissance Permit Area is located on the western extent of the coastal upwelling cells. Winds come primarily from the southeast, whereas virtually all swells throughout the year come from the S and SSW direction. The bulk of the seawater in the study area is South Atlantic Central Water characterised by low oxygen concentrations, especially at depth. Surface waters in the Reconnaissance Permit Area will primarily be nutrient poor and clear, being beyond the influence of coastal upwelling, with seasonal nutrient peaks expected on the eastern edge of the Reconnaissance Permit Area during periods of upwelling. The proposed 2D survey area falls into the Southern Benguela and Southeast Atlantic Deep Ocean Ecoregions. Although there is a lack of knowledge of the community structure and diversity of benthic macrofauna off the shelf edge, the South Atlantic bathyal and abyssal unconsolidated habitat types have been rated as ‘least threatened’, reflecting the great extent of these habitats in the South African Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Only sections along the shelf edge and in the Cape Canyon are rated as ‘Vulnerable’ and ‘Endangered’. Geological features of note in and adjacent to the proposed survey area are Child’s Bank, situated at about 31°S, Tripp Seamount situated at about 29°40’S and the Protea, Argentina and Slope Seamounts (36°44’S, 37°33’S and 36°27’S). Two canyons, the Cape Canyon and Cape Point Canyon also occur in the area. Features such as banks and seamounts often host deepwater corals and boast an enrichment of bottom-associated communities relative to the otherwise low profile homogenous seabed habitats. Due to its offshore location, plankton abundance is expected to be low, with the major fish spawning and migration routes occurring inshore on the shelf. The dominant fish
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