DOCSLIB.ORG

Biological Assessment Submitted to NOAA Fisheries

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Biological Assessment Submitted to NOAA Fisheries Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Energy Project Biological Assessment December 2018 (Revised March 2019) For the National Marine Fisheries Service U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy Programs Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Energy Project Biological Assessment, NOAA TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background.................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Project Area ................................................................................................................... 5 1.3. Proposed Action ............................................................................................................ 5 2. Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation History ................................................. 6 2.1. BSEE ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.2. EPA ............................................................................................................................... 7 2.3. USACE .......................................................................................................................... 8 2.4. USCG ............................................................................................................................ 8 2.5. NMFS............................................................................................................................. 9 3. Threatened and Endangered Species in the Proposed Action Area ................................ 9 3.1. Marine Mammals ......................................................................................................... 11 3.1.1. North Atlantic Right Whales .............................................................................. 14 3.1.2. Fin Whales ........................................................................................................ 25 3.1.3. Sei Whales ........................................................................................................ 28 3.1.4. Sperm Whales................................................................................................... 30 3.2. Sea Turtles .................................................................................................................. 32 3.2.1. Description of the Affected Environment for Sea Turtles .................................. 34 3.2.2. Regional Setting ................................................................................................ 39 3.2.3. Hearing Range .................................................................................................. 40 3.2.4. Loggerhead Sea Turtle ..................................................................................... 41 3.2.5. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle .................................................................................. 42 3.2.6. Green Sea Turtle............................................................................................... 43 3.2.7. Leatherback Sea Turtle ..................................................................................... 43 3.3. Marine Fish .................................................................................................................. 44 4. Proposed Action ................................................................................................................. 48 4.1. Offshore Facilities ........................................................................................................ 49 4.1.1. Wind Turbine Generators .................................................................................. 49 4.1.2. Electrical Service Platforms .............................................................................. 51 4.1.3. Scour Protection ................................................................................................ 51 4.1.4. Offshore Cables ................................................................................................ 52 4.1.5. Operations and Maintenance ............................................................................ 54 4.1.6. Decommissioning .............................................................................................. 54 4.2. Onshore Facilities ........................................................................................................ 55 4.2.1. Landfall Site ...................................................................................................... 55 4.2.2. Onshore Export Cable and Substation Site ...................................................... 55 4.3. Proposed Mitigation Measures .................................................................................... 56 5. Effects of the Proposed Action .......................................................................................... 62 5.1. Effects of the Proposed Action on Marine Mammals ................................................... 64 5.1.1. Construction and Installation ............................................................................. 64 i Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Energy Project Biological Assessment, NOAA 5.1.2. Operations and Maintenance ............................................................................ 84 5.1.3. Decommissioning .............................................................................................. 87 5.1.4. Effects to Critical Habitat ................................................................................... 89 5.2. Figure 5.1-2: Critical habitat for North Atlantic Right Whale Foraging AreaEffects of the Proposed Action on Sea Turtles .................................................................................. 90 5.2.1. Construction and Installation ............................................................................. 91 5.2.2. Operations and Maintenance ............................................................................ 97 5.2.3. Decommissioning ............................................................................................ 100 5.2.4. Effects to Critical Habitat ................................................................................. 101 5.3. Effects of the Proposed Action on Atlantic Sturgeon ................................................. 101 5.3.1. Construction .................................................................................................... 101 5.3.2. Operations and Maintenance .......................................................................... 111 5.3.3. Decommissioning ............................................................................................ 113 5.3.4. Effects to Critical Habitat ................................................................................. 113 6. Conclusions ....................................................................................................................... 114 7. Standard Operating Conditions for Protected Species ................................................. 116 8. References ......................................................................................................................... 116 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1-1: Federally Listed Marine Mammals that May Be Affected in the Action Area .......... 11 Table 3.1-2: Summary of the Total Number of Sightings and Number of Animals Sighted in the Large Pelagic Survey Study Area during the Surveys from 2011-2015 ...................................... 13 Table 3.2-1: Summary of Sea Turtles Likely to Occur in the Coastal Waters off Rhode Island and Massachusetts ..................................................................................................................... 33 Table 3.2-2: Sea Turtle Hearing Range ...................................................................................... 40 Table 3.2-3: Effort-Weighted Average Number of Sightings and Number of Animals Observed 41 Table 3.3-1: Atlantic Sturgeon General Life Stage and Duration Information ............................. 47 Table 4.1-1: Vineyard Wind Project WTG Specifications with Maximum Design Scenario ........ 50 Table 4.1-2: Vineyard Wind Project ESP Specifications with Maximum Design Scenario a ....... 51 Table 4.1-3: Vineyard Wind Project Scour Protection Information .............................................. 52 Table 5.1-2: Behavioral Exposure Criteria (based on Wood et al. 2012) .................................... 67 Table 5.1-3: Number of Monopiles Installed per Month .............................................................. 68 Table 5.1-4: Radial Distances (R95% in meters) to Sound Pressure Level for PTS and Harassment Thresholds for Marine Mammals with 6 dB Attenuation ......................................... 69 Table 5.1-5: Number of Animals Estimated to be Exposed above Sound Levels for Potential PTS and Harassment for Scenario 2 (1–2 piles per day) with 6 dB attenuation. ........................ 70 Table 5.1-6. Estimated maximum daily trips and trips per month during Project construction. ... 79 Table 5.2-1: Sea Turtle Density Estimates used for Animal Movement Modeling ...................... 92 ii Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Energy Project Biological Assessment, NOAA Table 5.2-2: Mean Radial Distance (R95% in meters) to Threshold Criteria for Sea Turtles during Impact Hammering with 6 dB Attenuation
Load more

Recommended publications
  • February 2016 No
    C A R I B B E A N On-line C MPASS FEBRUARY 2016 NO. 245 The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore IT’S CARIBBEAN REGATTA SEASON! See the latest regatta news on page 12 TIM WRIGHT / WWW.PHOTOACTION.COM FEBRUARY 2016 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 2 Hey, Readers! If you’d like to receive notification by e-mail when each month’s new Compass is available online, just drop a note to [email protected] and we’ll put you on the list — it’s as easy as that! The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore www.caribbeancompass.com FEBRUARY 2016 • NUMBER 245 CONNELLY-LYNN DOYLE DEPARTMENTS Info & Updates ......................4 Meridian Passage .................38 Business Briefs .......................8 Island Poets ...........................38 Regatta News........................ 12 Readers’ Forum .....................39 Y2A ......................................... 17 What’s on My Mind ............... 40 Chacachacare Look Out For… ......................29 Caribbean Market Place .....41 An island lost in time ........... 18 The Caribbean Sky ...............30 Calendar of Events ...............44 Cooking with Cruisers ..........36 Classified Ads ....................... 45 Colombia Cruising Book Reviews ........................37 Advertisers’ Index .................46 Work in progress .................. 22 FEBRUARY 2016 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 3 SHARPE Caribbean Compass is published monthly by Compass Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 175 BQ, Bequia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Tel: (784) 457-3409, Fax: (784) 457-3410, [email protected], www.caribbeancompass.com
    [Show full text]
  • Aleutian Spray Fisheries/Starboats Ruthie Anderson Aleutian Spray
    Aleutian Spray Fisheries/Starboats Ruthie Anderson Aleutian Spray Fisheries operates a fleet of fishing vessels that catch and process large quantities of high quality seafood products including Alaska Pollock, Pacific Cod, Opillio Crab and Alaska King Crab. The fishing fleet includes the at-sea processor Starbound and the mobile armada of freezer-long line and combination fishing vessels. While commercial fishing and seafood processing remain its core enterprises, the firm also engages in oceanographic research and shore based real estate development. www.starboats.com American Bureau of Shipping - ABS Henri Levesque Jen Williford From its foundation in 1862, promoting maritime safety has been the core commitment of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Today, we strive to be the most efficient provider of marine and offshore classification services. We are achieving that goal through the innovative thinking, enthusiasm and professionalism of our staff. At ABS, setting standards of excellence in marine and offshore classification is more than a motto - it is the way we conduct business. www.eagle.org MMA Career Fair 2014 American Maritime Officers- AMO Jose Leonard Danny Shea AMO is the largest U.S. union of merchant marine officers. AMO members work aboard commercial, military sealift and government vessels in domestic and international deep-sea trades and missions, on the Great Lakes and in U.S. inland waterways and harbors. AMO also holds a unique and expanding presence in the international LNG and energy transportation trades. www.amo-union.org American Steamship Company Maureen Johnson Throughout our history, American Steamship Company (“ASC”) has been a pioneer in Great Lakes vessel transportation.
    [Show full text]
  • East Portland Historical Overview & Historic Preservation Study
    East Portland Historical Overview & Historic Preservation Study Revised March, 2009 City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Commissioner-In-Charge Mayor Sam Adams Director Susan Anderson Historic Resources Program Steve Dotterer, Principal Planner Liza Mickle, City Planner Nicholas Starin, City Planner Project Staff Liza Mickle, City Planner Nicholas Starin, City Planner With Assistance from Carmen Piekarski, GIS Analyst Kevin Martin, GIS Analyst Ralph Sanders, Graphic Designer Dan Pauley, Community Service Aide Liza Mylott, Community Service Aide For more information, contact: City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability 1900 SW Fourth Ave, Ste. 7100 Portland, Oregon 97201-5380 Phone: (503) 823-7700 Fax: (503) 823-7800 www.portlandonline.com/bps/ The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is committed to providing equal access to information and hearings. If you need special accommodation, call the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability at (503) 823-7700 (TTY 503-823-6868). East Portland Historical Overview & Historic Preservation Study Table of Contents I. Introduction................................................................................................................ 1 II. East Portland Historical Overview........................................................................... 4 Chinook Illahee: The Land of the Chinook ..........................................................................4 Settlement to 1914 ..............................................................................................................8
    [Show full text]
  • Fishermen of the Atlantic
    The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine History of Maine Fisheries Special Collections 1920 Fishermen of the Atlantic Fishing Masters' Association Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/fisheries Part of the Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, and the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons Repository Citation Fishing Masters' Association, "Fishermen of the Atlantic" (1920). History of Maine Fisheries. 144. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/fisheries/144 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in History of Maine Fisheries by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BOSTON yy. - m Fairbanks-Morse Type "C-0" INSURANCE Marine Oil Engine COMPANY Incorporated 1873 Established by Service Capital, $1,000,000 Surplus, $2,000,000 -- i I INSURANCE ON FISHING I L VESSELS AND OUTFITS A SPECIALTY FIRE, MARINE, WAR, YACHT, AUTOMOBILE and TOURISTS' BAGGAGE INSURANCE XRi& HOME OFFICE, 87 KILBY STREET FAIRBANKS, MORSE & CO. 1 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON NEW YORK BALTIMORE New York Office, 66 Beaver Street New York ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, BOSTON FISH PIER, BOSTON, MASS. JOHN NAGLE. President R. J. AHEARN, Treasurer JOHN NAGLE, JR., Vice-president GEORGE I,. POLAND, Secretary JOHN NAGLE CO., I~C. Fishing Masters' Wholesale and Commission Dealers in all kinds of Association Fresh Fish of the Our Specialty is supplying Fresh and Frozen Bait of All Kinds to Fishermen Administration Building Atlantic Boston Fish Pier, Boston, Mass. Telephones, Port Hill 5650 and 5651 ,\ .Il.\h'ITATA OF IKFOIChl;\TTO?\', TSSUED ANNTTL\T,LY, COI\"l'A\IN IS(: THE ONLY Coi3IJT~I4Yl"l'< LIST OF FISHING VESSELS OF I1OSTON, (;L0TT('ESl1lClt, 1'I:O\'IN('lCTO\VN, CHATH.\.\I, XliCIV l~l~~l)FOI~l),l'OItTTAL\KI), AfIiC.
    [Show full text]
  • Law of the Sea and LNG: Cross-Border Law and Politics Over Head Harbor Passage, The
    Canada-United States Law Journal Volume 37 Issue 1 Article 7 2012 Law of the Sea and LNG: Cross-Border Law and Politics over Head Harbor Passage, The James Kraska Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cuslj Part of the Energy and Utilities Law Commons, International Trade Law Commons, Law of the Sea Commons, and the Transnational Law Commons Recommended Citation James Kraska, Law of the Sea and LNG: Cross-Border Law and Politics over Head Harbor Passage, The, 37 Can.-U.S. L.J. 131 (2012) Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cuslj/vol37/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Journals at Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canada-United States Law Journal by an authorized administrator of Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. THE LAW OF THE SEA AND LNG: CROSS-BORDER LAW AND POLITICS OVER HEAD HARBOR PASSAGE James Kraska* I. INTRODUCTION A. The Political Context The United States and Canada are at an impasse over plans by American developers to introduce a new supply of liquefied natural gas ("LNG") into the United States through proposed port terminals along the Saint Croix Riv- er, which runs between the Province of New Brunswick and the State of Maine. The disagreement implicates the law and politics surrounding a new source of clean energy for the region, maritime security, Native American tribal sovereignty, marine environmental protection in the unique Bay of Fundy, bilateral economic relations, and high-level diplomacy between Ot- tawa and Washington.
    [Show full text]
  • Sea History Index Issues 1-164
    SEA HISTORY INDEX ISSUES 1-164 Page numbers in italics refer to illustrations Numbers 9/11 terrorist attacks, 99:2, 99:12–13, 99:34, 102:6, 103:5 “The 38th Voyagers: Sailing a 19th-Century Whaler in the 21st Century,” 148:34–35 40+ Fishing Boat Association, 100:42 “100 Years of Shipping through the Isthmus of Panama,” 148:12–16 “100th Anniversary to Be Observed Aboard Delta Queen,” 53:36 “103 and Still Steaming!” 20:15 “1934: A New Deal for Artists,” 128:22–25 “1987 Mystic International,” 46:26–28 “1992—Year of the Ship,” 60:9 A A. B. Johnson (four-masted schooner), 12:14 A. D. Huff (Canadian freighter), 26:3 A. F. Coats, 38:47 A. J. Fuller (American Downeaster), 71:12, 72:22, 81:42, 82:6, 155:21 A. J. McAllister (tugboat), 25:28 A. J. Meerwald (fishing/oyster schooner), 70:39, 70:39, 76:36, 77:41, 92:12, 92:13, 92:14 A. S. Parker (schooner), 77:28–29, 77:29–30 A. Sewall & Co., 145:4 A. T. Gifford (schooner), 123:19–20 “…A Very Pleasant Place to Build a Towne On,” 37:47 Aalund, Suzy (artist), 21:38 Aase, Sigurd, 157:23 Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987, 39:7, 41:4, 42:4, 46:44, 51:6–7, 52:8–9, 56:34–35, 68:14, 68:16, 69:4, 82:38, 153:18 Abbass, D. K. (Kathy), 55:4, 63:8, 91:5 Abbott, Amy, 49:30 Abbott, Lemuel Francis (artist), 110:0 ABCD cruisers, 103:10 Abel, Christina “Sailors’ Snug Harbor,” 125:22–25 Abel Tasman (ex-Bonaire) (former barquentine), 3:4, 3:5, 3:5, 11:7, 12:28, 45:34, 83:53 Abele, Mannert, 117:41 Aberdeen, SS (steamship), 158:30, 158:30, 158:32 Aberdeen Maritime Museum, 33:32 Abnaki (tugboat), 37:4 Abner Coburn, 123:30 “Aboard
    [Show full text]
  • Captainss Quarters (A Virtual Speaker Series) Is a Big Hit!
    Spring 2021 Captains’ Quarters (a virtual speaker series) is a Big hit! With many of our members unable to visit this past year, we worked hard to find ways to bring our museum directly to you —no matter where you are located. We were one of the first museums to offer virtual tours last spring (you can still access those on our web- site!); and this winter we introduced the Captains’ Quarters, a virtual speaker series for listeners around the country. Captains, crew, and passengers from many of our local windjammers have joined Capt Jim Sharp (museum co-founder) from all over the country to share photos, stories, and histories of these great vessels. Many started as cargo ships, some are on the National Register of Historic Places, some were built specifically for passengers, and one even graces the front of US currency (the quarter), representing the maritime heritage of the state of Maine. If you missed a session and want to catch up, they are all on our YouTube channel … links can be found on The “Music and Calendar” page of our website. Stay tuned as we continue to build this wonderful library of oral histories. Some of the boats featured are shown below and on Page 3. Bowdoin: From Arctic explorer Stephen Taber: From cargo vessel to maine windjammer, she’s now to historic windjammer, she’s still the Flagship of the State of carrying passengers along the Maine and a sail training vessel shores and among the islands of of Maine Maritime Academy. coastal Maine. Adventure: A record breaking Angelique: Unique in her steel Gloucester fishing vessel, she construction, ketch rig, and served as a Maine windjammer brown sails, she was designed for years and is now the pride of specifically to carry passengers Goucester Harbor.
    [Show full text]
  • Historic Name: Roseway (Schooner) Other Name/Site Number: Pilot
    NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION NFS Form 10-900 USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) OMB No. 1024-0018 Roseway (Schooner) Page 1 United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 1. NAME OF PROPERTY Historic Name: Roseway (Schooner) Other Name/Site Number: Pilot Schooner Roseway 2. LOCATION Street & Number: Boston Harbor Not for publication: City/Town: Boston Vicinity: State: Massachusetts County: Suffolk Code: 02205 3. CLASSIFICATION Ownership of Property Category of Property Private: X Building(s): __ Public-Local: _ District: __ Public-State: __ Site: __ Public-Federal: Structure: _X_ Object: __ Number of Resources within Property Contributing None ontribut ing _ buildings _ sites _ structures _ objects 1 Total Number of Contributing Resources Previously Listed in the National Register: Name of Related Multiple Property Listing: NFS Form 10-900 USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) OMB No. 1024-0018 Roseway (Schooner) Page 2 United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 4. STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this ___ nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. Signature of Certifying Official Date State or Federal Agency and Bureau In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not meet the National Register criteria.
    [Show full text]
  • APPENDIX B: NMFS Biological Opinion
    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 .....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Sunset Seminar Series Talks Are Held Late June Through August, 7:00–8:30 Pm, Free of Charge, and Open to the Public
    Camden Yacht Club 2019 Sunset Seminar Series Talks are held late June through August, 7:00–8:30 pm, free of charge, and open to the public. Donations at the door will be gratefully accepted to benefit the non-profit Camden Area Youth Seamanship Program (CAYSP). June 21 Circumnavigating July 31 Impacts of Warming FRIDAY the Americas on Novara WEDNESDAY of the Gulf of Maine Award-winning adventure sailor Steve Brown Richard Wahle is the director of the University departed Camden in the summer of 2014, of Maine’s Lobster Institute and a research sailed around North America via the Northwest professor in the School of Marine Sciences. His Passage and Antarctica, and climbed a few research integrates the ecology, oceanography, mountains along the way. and fishery science toward a better mechanistic understanding of marine populations and July 10 Insights and Inspiration: communities. WEDNESDAY Four Decades Painting Maine August 7 Follow the Water One of our country’s most acclaimed con tem- WEDNESDAY porary artists, Barbara Ernst Prey, will give a talk on insights and inspiration highlighting her Join geologist and CYC member Mark Van four decades of painting Maine. Baalen in a discussion of some of the remarkable properties of water, where it came from and July 23 A Passage to Antigua and where it is going. Water moves from one place to another in various ways, and to understand all TUESDAY Cruising the Windward Islands this we must follow the water. Bob Osborn will talk about the Salty Dawg Fall Rally (the largest organized flotilla of cruisers August 14 From Shark Bites to leaving the East Coast for the Caribbean) to the WEDNESDAY Repairing Human Hearts Caribbean and Antigua as a starting point for cruising the islands from there to the Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Passive Acoustic Monitoring Predicts Daily Variation in North Atlantic Right Whale Presence and Relative Abundance in Roseway Basin, Canada
    MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 35(4): 1280–1303 (2019) © 2019 Society for Marine Mammalogy DOI: 10.1111/mms.12602 Passive acoustic monitoring predicts daily variation in North Atlantic right whale presence and relative abundance in Roseway Basin, Canada DELPHINE DURETTE-MORIN ,1 Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada and Canadian Whale Institute, 20 Morning Star Lane, Wilson’s Beach, New Brunswick E5E 1S9, Canada; KIMBERLEY T. A. DAVIES, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada; HANSEN D. JOHNSON, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada; MOIRA W. BROWN, Anderson Cabot Center of Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf Boston, Massachusetts 02110, U.S.A. and Canadian Whale Institute, 20 Morning Star Lane, Wilson’s Beach, New Brunswick E5E 1S9, Canada; HILARY MOORS-MURPHY, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada; BRUCE MARTIN, JASCO Applied Sciences, Suite 301, 32 Troop Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3B 1Z1, Canada; CHRISTOPHER T. TAGGART, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada. ABSTRACT North Atlantic right whale monitoring in Roseway Basin, Canada, is primarily based on short-term (<14 d) visual surveys conducted during August–September. Variability in survey effort has been the biggest limiting factor to studying changes in the population’s occurrence and habitat use. Such efforts could be enhanced considerably using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). We sought to determine if variation in whale presence, relative abundance, demography, and/or behavior (estimated through visual surveys) could be explained by variation in three right whale call types in this habitat.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Assessment of a Marine Geophysical Survey by the R/V Endeavor in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, August 2009
    Environmental Assessment of a Marine Geophysical Survey by the R/V Endeavor in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, August 2009 Prepared for Rice University Department of Earth Science 6100 Main Street, MS 126 Houston, TX 77005 and National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725 Arlington, VA 22230 by LGL Ltd., environmental research associates 22 Fisher St., POB 280 King City, Ont. L7B 1A6 12 May 2009 LGL Report TA4760-1 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................... VI LIST OF ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. VIII I. PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................................................ 1 II. ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING PROPOSED ACTION ................................................................................. 2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................................ 2 (1) Project Objectives and Context .......................................................................................... 2 (2) Proposed Activities ............................................................................................................. 2 (3) Monitoring and Mitigation Measures ................................................................................
    [Show full text]