Bay du Nord Development Project Environmental Impact Statement TABLE OF CONTENTS 6.0 EXISTING BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................6-1 6.1 Marine Fish and Fish Habitat .............................................................................................. 6-1 6.1.1 Approach and Key Information Sources ............................................................6-4 6.1.1.1 Canadian Research Vessel Multi-Species Surveys ......................... 6-6 6.1.1.2 International Research Vessel Surveys ........................................... 6-6 6.1.1.3 Other Information Sources ............................................................... 6-7 6.1.1.4 Indigenous Knowledge ..................................................................... 6-7 6.1.1.5 Equinor Canada Seabed Surveys .................................................... 6-7 6.1.2 Trophic Linkages and Community Change ..................................................... 6-10 6.1.3 Key Marine Assemblages ................................................................................6-11 6.1.4 Plants and Macroalgae ....................................................................................6-12 6.1.5 Plankton ...........................................................................................................6-13 6.1.5.1 Phytoplankton ................................................................................ 6-13 6.1.5.2 Zooplankton ................................................................................... 6-16 6.1.5.3 Ichthyoplankton .............................................................................. 6-17 6.1.6 Pelagic Macroinvertebrates .............................................................................6-18 6.1.7 Benthic Invertebrates .......................................................................................6-23 6.1.7.1 Grand Banks Shelf ......................................................................... 6-24 6.1.7.2 Grand Bank Slope .......................................................................... 6-28 6.1.7.3 Flemish Pass and Flemish Cap ..................................................... 6-28 6.1.7.4 Orphan Basin ................................................................................. 6-33 6.1.7.5 Equinor Canada Seabed Surveys .................................................. 6-34 6.1.7.6 Corals and Sponges ...................................................................... 6-40 6.1.7.7 Project Area Key Invertebrate Species Information and Distribution ..................................................................................... 6-60 6.1.7.8 Key Reproduction Times and Areas .............................................. 6-63 6.1.8 Finfish (Demersal and Pelagic Species) ..........................................................6-64 6.1.8.1 Grand Bank Shelf and Flemish Pass ............................................. 6-65 6.1.8.2 Flemish Cap ................................................................................... 6-68 6.1.8.3 Migratory and Transient Species ................................................... 6-69 6.1.8.4 Equinor Canada Seabed Surveys .................................................. 6-71 6.1.8.5 Project Area Key Species Information and Distributions ............... 6-74 6.1.8.6 Key Reproduction Times and Areas ............................................ 6-107 6.1.9 Species at Risk ..............................................................................................6-109 6.1.9.1 Wolffish (Striped, Spotted, Northern) ........................................... 6-113 6.1.9.2 American Eel ................................................................................ 6-117 6.1.9.3 White Shark ................................................................................. 6-118 6.1.9.4 Other Sharks (Basking, Shortfin Mako, Porbeagle) ..................... 6-121 6.1.9.5 Thorny Skate ................................................................................ 6-122 6.1.9.6 Atlantic Salmon ............................................................................ 6-122 6.1.9.7 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna .................................................................... 6-135 6.1.9.8 Roundnose Grenadier .................................................................. 6-135 6.1.9.9 Atlantic Cod .................................................................................. 6-135 6.1.9.10 White Hake .................................................................................. 6-137 6.1.9.11 Redfish ......................................................................................... 6-137 6.1.10 Overview of Marine Fish and Fish Habitat ..................................................... 6-143 6.2 Marine and Migratory Birds ............................................................................................. 6-146 6.2.1 Approach and Key Information Sources ........................................................ 6-147 i Bay du Nord Development Project Environmental Impact Statement 6.2.2 Seabirds .......................................................................................................6-148 6.2.2.1 Fulmarine Petrels, Shearwaters, and Gadfly Petrels ................... 6-151 6.2.2.2 Storm-Petrels ............................................................................... 6-157 6.2.2.3 Gannets ....................................................................................... 6-161 6.2.2.4 Tropicbirds ................................................................................... 6-161 6.2.2.5 Cormorants .................................................................................. 6-162 6.2.2.6 Phalaropes ................................................................................... 6-162 6.2.2.7 Skuas and Jaegers ...................................................................... 6-163 6.2.2.8 Alcids ........................................................................................... 6-165 6.2.2.9 Gulls ............................................................................................. 6-175 6.2.2.10 Terns ............................................................................................ 6-186 6.2.3 Other Marine-Associated Avifauna ................................................................ 6-188 6.2.3.1 Waterfowl and Divers ................................................................... 6-188 6.2.3.2 Shorebirds .................................................................................... 6-190 6.2.3.3 Landbirds ..................................................................................... 6-192 6.2.4 Species at Risk ..............................................................................................6-192 6.2.5 Important Bird Areas of Newfoundland ..........................................................6-199 6.2.6 Summary of Marine and Migratory Birds in the Project area ......................... 6-202 6.2.6.1 Summary of Key Areas and Times for Marine and Migratory Birds ............................................................................................. 6-205 6.3 Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles .................................................................................. 6-207 6.3.1 Approach and Key Information ......................................................................6-207 6.3.2 Overview of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles in the Project Area and RSA ...............................................................................................................6-209 6.3.3 Mysticetes (Baleen Whales) ..........................................................................6-210 6.3.3.1 Humpback Whale ......................................................................... 6-218 6.3.3.2 Minke Whale ................................................................................ 6-218 6.3.3.3 Sei Whale ..................................................................................... 6-219 6.3.4 Odontocetes (Toothed Whales) .....................................................................6-219 6.3.4.1 Sperm Whale ............................................................................... 6-223 6.3.4.2 False Killer Whale ........................................................................ 6-223 6.3.4.3 Long-Finned Pilot Whale .............................................................. 6-224 6.3.4.4 White-beaked Dolphin .................................................................. 6-224 6.3.4.5 Atlantic White-sided Dolphin ........................................................ 6-224 6.3.4.6 Short-beaked Common Dolphin ................................................... 6-225 6.3.4.7 Risso’s Dolphin ............................................................................ 6-225 6.3.4.8 Common Bottlenose Dolphin ....................................................... 6-225 6.3.4.9 Atlantic Spotted Dolphin ............................................................... 6-225 6.3.4.10 Spinner Dolphin ........................................................................... 6-226 6.3.4.11 Striped Dolphin ............................................................................ 6-226 6.3.5 Phocids ..........................................................................................................6-226 6.3.5.1 Harbour Seal ...............................................................................