APPENDIX B: NMFS Biological Opinion
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APPENDIX B: NMFS Biological Opinion NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation Biological Opinion Agencies: National Science Foundation-Division of Ocean Sciences and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Pennits and Conservation Division Activities Considered: Seismic survey by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory along North Carolina's Outer Banks and Issuance of an Incidental Harassment Authorization pursuant to Section 10l(a)(5)(D) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act Consultation NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Conducted by: Office of Protected Resources, Endangered Species Act Intcragency Cooperation Division Approved by: Date: SEP 1 2 2014 Table of Contents Page 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 CONSULTATION HISTORY................................................................................................................................. 1 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTIONS ........................................................................................ 2 2.1 SCHEDULE ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 2.2 SOURCE VESSEL SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 AIRGUN DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 3 2.4 OCEAN BOTTOM SEISMOMETERS ..................................................................................................................... 5 2.5 MULTIBEAM ECHOSOUNDER, SUB-BOTTOM PROFILER, AND ACOUSTIC DOPPLER ECHOSOUNDER ................... 5 2.6 PROPOSED EXCLUSION ZONES ......................................................................................................................... 6 2.7 LAND-BASED ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................................................... 11 3 INCIDENTAL HARASSMENT AUTHORIZATION ................................................................................. 12 4 APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................... 15 5 ACTION AREA ............................................................................................................................................... 20 6 STATUS OF LISTED RESOURCES ............................................................................................................. 21 6.1 BLUE WHALE .................................................................................................................................................. 23 6.2 FIN WHALE ..................................................................................................................................................... 29 6.3 HUMPBACK WHALE ........................................................................................................................................ 34 6.4 NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE ................................................................................................................... 39 6.5 SEI WHALE ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 6.6 SPERM WHALE ................................................................................................................................................ 47 6.7 GREEN SEA TURTLE ........................................................................................................................................ 53 6.8 HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE ................................................................................................................................ 61 6.9 KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE .......................................................................................................................... 65 6.10 LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE ...................................................................................................................... 70 6.11 LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE- NORTHWEST ATLANTIC DPS ........................................................................ 79 7 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE .................................................................................................................. 87 7.1 CLIMATE CHANGE .......................................................................................................................................... 87 i 7.2 HABITAT DEGRADATION ................................................................................................................................ 91 7.3 DREDGING...................................................................................................................................................... 92 7.4 SEISMIC SURVEYS .......................................................................................................................................... 92 7.5 VESSEL TRAFFIC ............................................................................................................................................. 93 7.6 U.S. NAVY TRAINING AND TESTING ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................. 94 7.7 U.S. MARINE CORPS TRAINING IN THE CHERRY POINT RANGE COMPLEX ..................................................... 95 7.8 ENTRAPMENT AND ENTANGLEMENT IN FISHING GEAR .................................................................................... 96 7.9 WIND ENERGY ................................................................................................................................................ 99 7.10 OIL AND GAS ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................................................... 100 7.11 ENTRAINMENT IN POWER PLANTS ............................................................................................................ 100 7.12 SHIP-STRIKES .......................................................................................................................................... 100 7.13 COMMERCIAL WHALING .......................................................................................................................... 102 7.14 SCIENTIFIC AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................... 103 7.15 PHYSICAL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC FEATURES ........................................................................................... 112 7.16 IMPACTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE ON LISTED SPECIES ......................................................... 114 8 EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTIONS .............................................................................................. 117 8.1 POTENTIAL STRESSORS ................................................................................................................................ 118 8.2 EXPOSURE ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................... 120 8.3 RESPONSE ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................... 132 9 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ........................................................................................................................... 145 10 INTEGRATION AND SYNTHESIS OF EFFECTS ................................................................................... 145 11 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 147 12 INCIDENTAL TAKE STATEMENT .......................................................................................................... 147 12.1 AMOUNT OR EXTENT OF TAKE ................................................................................................................ 148 12.2 EFFECT OF THE TAKE .............................................................................................................................. 149 12.3 REASONABLE AND PRUDENT MEASURES ................................................................................................ 149 12.4 TERMS AND CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................................ 149 ii 13 CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 153 14 REINITIATION NOTICE ............................................................................................................................ 154 15 LITERATURE CITED .................................................................................................................................. 154 iii List of Figures Page Figure 1. One linear airgun array or string with nine operating airguns, plus one spare. ............... 4 Figure 2. Proposed area for the marine seismic survey off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Trackline for the seismic survey is identified in purple and red lines for 18- and 36-airgun