Treasure Island Subtidal Reef Monitoring Program Final Report
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TREASURE ISLAND SUBTIDAL REEF MONITORING PROGRAM FINAL REPORT Treasure Island Marine Resources Monitoring Program Prepared for: City of Laguna Beach Water Quality Division 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Contact: Will Holoman, Senior Water Quality Specialist (949) 497-0781 Prepared by: Coastal Resources Management PMB 327, 3334 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar, CA 92625 Contact: Rick Ware, Senior Marine Biologist (949) 412-9446 May 1st, 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1 2.0 SUBTIDAL MONITORING METHODS ....................................................................... 3 2.1 Survey Periods................................................................................................................. 3 2.2 Locations of Monitoring Sites........................................................................................ 3 2.3 Field Methods.................................................................................................................. 3 2.4 Data Reduction................................................................................................................ 7 3.0 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Site Description............................................................................................................ 9 3.2 Point Contact Methodology Results............................................................................ 11 3.3 Subtidal Macrofauna Belt Transect Survey Results .................................................. 33 3.4 Pacific Wing-Oyster Distribution and Abundance .................................................... 56 3.5 Giant Kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera).............................................................................. 59 3.6 Fish Surveys................................................................................................................. 59 4.0 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................... 69 4.1 Reef Plants and Invertebrates................................................................................... 69 4.2 Reef Fishes .................................................................................................................. 72 4.3 Analysis of the Effects of Construction and Operation of the Montage Resort On The Subtidal Environment.................................................................................... 73 5.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 83 6.0 PROJECT PERSONNEL................................................................................................. 84 City of Laguna Beach i Coastal Resources Management Treasure Island Marine Resources Monitoring Program Final Project Report Subtidal Reef Surveys LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Reef Station Locations........................................................................................................... 5 2 Primary Target Species, Cryptic Macrofaunal/Flora Species.............................................. 6 3 Primary Target Macrofauna/flora Species ............................................................................ 7 4 Species Composition and Percent Abundance, Subtidal Quarter Meter Quadrats ........... 11 5 Summary of Point Contact Community Parameters .......................................................... 12 6 Subtidal Survey Summary Point Contact Survey, Nov 2001-Oct 2006, By Station ........ 14 7 Community Composition and Percent Abundance, Subtidal Macrofauna .................... 33 8 Subtidal Macrofauna Summary of Community Parameters .............................................. 37 9 Summary of Data, By Station, Macrofauna Mean Density Per Square Meter Nov 2001-Oct 2006 ....................................................................................................... 58 10 Distribution and Abundance of Pacific-Wing Oysters in the Project Area....................... 58 11 Fish Community Parameter Summary By Survey ............................................................. 60 12 Fish Summary, By Stations. Nov 2001-Oct 2006 ............................................................. 62 13 Observed Changes in Public Use Patterns, Offshore of Treasure Island, 2002-2006 ...... 82 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Project Area Location ............................................................................................................ 2 2 Intertidal and Subtidal Habitats at Treasure Island............................................................. 10 3 Subtidal Sediment and Cryptic Macrofauna Percent Cover, All Surveys......................... 12 4 Biological and Bare Substrate (rock or sand) Percent Cover, Nov 01-Oct 06.................. 16 5 Percent Biological and Bare Substrate By Station, Nov 01-Oct 06................................... 17 6 Comparison of Inshore and Offshore Dominant Reef Species and Group Makeup Nov 01-Oct 06................................................................................................................ 17 7 Station S-1. Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Taxa By Survey ........................... 22 8 Station S-1 Point Contact Dominant Species Abundance Trends By Year .................... 22 9 Station S-2. Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Survey....................... 23 10 Station S-2 Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Year........................... 24 11 Station S-3. Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Survey....................... 25 12 Station S-3 Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Year........................... 25 13 Station S-4. Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Survey....................... 26 14 Station S-4 Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Year........................... 27 15 Station S-5 Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Year........................... 28 16 Station S-5. Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Survey....................... 28 17 Station S-6 Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Year........................... 29 18 Station S-6. Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Survey....................... 30 19 Station S-7 Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Year........................... 32 20 Station S-7 Point Contact Abundances of Dominant Species By Year........................... 32 21 Species Richness of the Macrofauna Community, Jan 2001-Oct 2006 ............................ 37 22 Density of Subtidal Macrofauna Organisms, Jan 2001-Oct 2006 ..................................... 37 23 Mean Macrofauna Species Richness, By Station, Jan 2001-Oct 2006.............................. 41 24 Macrofauna Community Density, Stations S-1 to S-7. Summary, All Stations ............... 41 25 Macrofauna Dominant Species Abundances, By Station. Summary. ............................. 42 City of Laguna Beach ii Coastal Resources Management Treasure Island Marine Resources Monitoring Program Final Project Report Subtidal Reef Surveys Figure Page 26 Comparison of Inner Reef and Outer Reef Abundance of Dominant Species.................. 42 27 Station S-1. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Survey ............... 44 28 Station S-1. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Year................... 44 29 Station S-2. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Survey ............... 45 30 Station S-2. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Year................... 45 31 Station S-3. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Survey ............... 47 32 Station S-3. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Year................... 47 33 Station S-4. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Survey ............... 49 34 Station S-4. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Year................... 49 35 Station S-5. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Survey ............... 50 36 Station S-5. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Year................... 51 37 Station S-6. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Survey ............... 52 38 Station S-6. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Year................... 53 39 Station S-7. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Survey ............... 54 40 Station S-7. Dominant Subtidal Macrofauna Species Abundances, By Year................... 55 41 Fish Abundances By Year, 2001-2006 ............................................................................... 60 42 Mean Fish Density By Station, 2001-2006......................................................................... 61 43 Densities of Dominant Fishes, Nov 2001-Oct 2006........................................................... 64 44 Comparison of Treasure Island Reef (Inshore) and Goff Island (Offshore) Dominant Reef Fish Abundances, Nov 2001-Oct 2006................................................................ 64 45 Blacksmith (Chromis punctipinnis) Density, Nov 2001-Oct 2006 By Station................. 65 46 Garibaldi, (Hypsypops rubicundus) Density, Nov 2001-Oct 2006 By Station ................. 65 47 Senorita (Oxyjulis californica) Density, Nov 2001-Oct 2006 By Station.......................