Appendix E Baseline Survey 2009
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Appendix E Baseline Survey 2009 Rumah Baru Freight and Passenger Terminal Baseline Survey 2009 April 2009 P:\VDMGroup\782_RumahBaruEMP\003_BaselineSurvey\Reports\Baseline Report\FINAL_baseline_20090402.doc Rumah Baru Freight and Passenger Terminal Baseline Survey 2009 Prepared for Wyllie & Skene Prepared by Oceanica Consulting Pty Ltd April 2009 Report No. 782_003/1 Client: Wyllie & Skene Revisions history DISTRIBUTION REVIEW Version Author No. Copies & Recipients Date Reviewer Date Format Draft 1 M Nyegaard M Bailey 30/3/09 Draft 2 M Nyegaard J Cownie PDF 30/3/09 Draft 3 M Nyegaard J Cownie PDF 31/3/09 Final M Nyegaard J Cownie PDF 2/4/09 Status This report is “Draft” until the author and director have signed it off for final release. A “Draft” report should not be used for any purpose other than to be reviewed with the intention of generating a “Final” version. Approved for final release: Author: Marianne Nyegaard Director: Mark Bailey Disclaimer This report has been prepared on behalf of and for the exclusive use of Wyllie & Skene, and is subject to and issued in accordance with the agreed terms and scope between Wyllie & Skene and Oceanica Consulting Pty Ltd. Oceanica Consulting Pty Ltd accepts no liability or responsibility whatsoever for it in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party. Copying this report without the permission of Wyllie & Skene or Oceanica Consulting Pty Ltd is not permitted. Cover Main image: Prison Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, February 2009 (Oceanica Consulting); Minor images: Porites australiensis. bommie off Rumah Baru, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, February 2009 (Oceanica Consulting); Thalassia hemprichii and Caulerpa spp. bed off Rumah Baru, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, February 2009 (Oceanica Consulting). The Oceanica logo is a registered trade mark of Oceanica Consulting Pty Ltd which is protected by law. You may not use this trade mark without first obtaining the permission of Oceanica Consulting Pty Ltd. © Copyright 2009 Oceanica Consulting Pty Ltd Contents 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................1 2. Coral surveys....................................................................................................................2 2.1. Verification of the Porites species ............................................................................. 2 2.2. Coral sites ............................................................................................................................ 2 2.2.1. Monitoring sites ........................................................................................................ 2 2.2.2. Reference sites ......................................................................................................... 2 2.2.3. Additional monitoring sites .................................................................................... 2 2.2.4. Bommie selection..................................................................................................... 4 2.3. Coral health ......................................................................................................................... 4 2.3.1. Assessment ............................................................................................................... 4 2.3.2. Results........................................................................................................................ 4 2.4. Observations of coral spawning ................................................................................. 6 2.5. Visual inspection of coral bommies in channel..................................................... 7 2.5.1. Search for ‘Bommie C, D and E’ – inner channel.............................................. 7 2.5.2. Search for ‘Bommie B’ ............................................................................................ 8 2.5.3. Search for “Bommie A”........................................................................................... 8 2.5.4. Candidates for Relocation .................................................................................... 12 2.5.5. Relocation method................................................................................................. 14 3. Seagrass and macroalgae .........................................................................................15 3.1. Seagrass/macroalgae sites ........................................................................................ 15 3.1.1. Monitoring sites ...................................................................................................... 15 3.1.2. Reference sites ....................................................................................................... 15 3.1.3. Additional monitoring sites .................................................................................. 15 3.2. Visual estimation of above ground biomass........................................................ 17 3.2.1. Introduction............................................................................................................. 17 3.2.2. Visual estimation of above ground biomass .................................................... 17 3.3. Seagrass and macroalgae health survey............................................................... 21 3.3.1. Site descriptions..................................................................................................... 21 3.3.2. Community composition and smothering......................................................... 24 4. Water quality..................................................................................................................26 4.1. Turbidity profiles at seagrass/macroalgae and coral sites ........................... 26 4.2. TSS/turbidity correlation............................................................................................. 26 5. References.......................................................................................................................28 Oceanica: Wyllie & Skene: Rumah Baru Freight and Passenger Terminal, Baseline Survey 2009 i List of Tables Table 2.1 Coral monitoring and reference sites ......................................................... 5 Table 2.2 Previous observations of coral spawning at Cocos (Keeling) Islands ............... 6 Table 2.3 Summary of large bommies located in the proposed dredge channel during the baseline survey 2009. Proposed bommies for relocation are highlighted. Coordinates are given in UTM47 GDA94.................................. 13 Table 3.1 General description of each seagrass/macroalgae site ................................ 22 Table 4.1 Turbidity levels (NTU) measured during the baseline survey 2009................ 26 List of Figures Figure 2.1 The two species of bommie forming Porites found off Rumah Baru. P. lobata (left) and P. australiensis (right)...................................................... 2 Figure 2.2 Coral sites selected and marked during the baseline survey 2009 (CH1- CH4 and CR1) and sites noted for potential future monitoring (CH5-CH6) ....... 3 Figure 2.3 Mean live coral cover (of total bommie area) and sediment cover (of live coral cover). 95% confidence interval shown as bars ................................... 6 Figure 2.4 Small Porites australiensis (left and middle) and dead bommie cluster (A01-1) (right) at site A01 ....................................................................... 7 Figure 2.5 The two largest bommies found at location A01; Porites lobata (A01-2) (left) and the smooth, light coloured species (A01-3) (right) ......................... 8 Figure 2.6 The two large Porites australiensis bommies at site A02 (A02-1 and A02- 2)......................................................................................................... 8 Figure 2.7 Examples of the scattered Porites lobata found throughout the outer third part of the proposed channel.................................................................... 9 Figure 2.8 A03-1: Large Porites lobata found at A03 (left); A05-1: Large Porites of the smooth, light species found at A05 (right) ............................................ 9 Figure 2.9 CB2-1: Mostly dead bommie (left) and CB2-2: mixed bommie of P. lobata and the smooth, light Porites species (left) found at CB2 .............................. 9 Figure 2.10 CB1-1: The large, dead bommie (found at CB1 at the NE corner of the proposed channel ................................................................................. 10 Figure 2.11 Bommies located in the proposed dredge channel during the baseline survey 2009 ........................................................................................ 11 Figure 2.12 Snorkeler picking up small bommie in the proposed dredge channel during the baseline survey 2009 ............................................................. 14 Figure 3.1 Seagrass/macroalgae impact and reference sites assessed (S1-S8) or identified for potential future monitoring (S10-S11) during the baseline survey 2009 ........................................................................................ 16 Figure 3.2 Seagrass/macroalgae mat (left) lifting off from the seabed (right) ............... 18 Figure 3.3 Biomass index 1-5 (left to right) ............................................................. 18 Figure 3.4 Snorkeler harvesting the above-ground biomass (left) leaving a bare patch (right) .......................................................................................