Initial Environmental Evaluation SA Agulhas II in sea ice. Image: Johan Viljoen 1 Submitted to the Polar Regions Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as part of an application for a permit / approval under the UK Antarctic Act 1994. Submitted by: Mr. Oliver Plunket Director Maritime Archaeology Consultants Switzerland AG c/o: Maritime Archaeology Consultants Switzerland AG Baarerstrasse 8, Zug, 6300, Switzerland Final version submitted: September 2018 IEE Prepared by: Dr. Neil Gilbert Director Constantia Consulting Ltd. Christchurch New Zealand 2 Table of contents Table of contents ________________________________________________________________ 3 List of Figures ___________________________________________________________________ 6 List of Tables ___________________________________________________________________ 8 Non-Technical Summary __________________________________________________________ 9 1. Introduction _________________________________________________________________ 18 2. Environmental Impact Assessment Process ________________________________________ 20 2.1 International Requirements ________________________________________________________ 20 2.2 National Requirements ____________________________________________________________ 21 2.3 Applicable ATCM Measures and Resolutions __________________________________________ 22 2.3.1 Non-governmental activities and general operations in Antarctica _______________________________ 22 2.3.2 Scientific research in Antarctica __________________________________________________________ 23 2.3.3 Human heritage in Antarctica ____________________________________________________________ 23 2.4 Applicable CCAMLR Conservation Measures ___________________________________________ 24 2.5 Other applicable Antarctic-specific guidance material ___________________________________ 24 3. Scope of the Initial Environmental Evaluation ______________________________________ 25 3.1 Activities that are included _________________________________________________________ 25 3.2 Activities that are excluded ________________________________________________________ 25 4. Description of the Planned Activities _____________________________________________ 27 4.1 Operations and Logistics ___________________________________________________________ 27 4.1.1 Expedition personnel ___________________________________________________________________ 27 4.1.2 Air transport __________________________________________________________________________ 31 4.1.3 Marine transport ______________________________________________________________________ 32 4.1.3.1 SA Agulhas II details ________________________________________________________________ 33 4.1.3.2 Vessel safety ______________________________________________________________________ 34 4.1.3.3 Vessel route ______________________________________________________________________ 36 4.1.3.4 Personnel safety and briefings ________________________________________________________ 38 4.1.4 Summary of expedition itinerary __________________________________________________________ 38 4.2 Marine Research _________________________________________________________________ 39 4.2.1 Aims and objectives ____________________________________________________________________ 39 4.2.2 Research equipment ___________________________________________________________________ 40 4.2.2.1 Underwater vehicles _______________________________________________________________ 40 4.2.2.2 Remotely piloted aircraft systems _____________________________________________________ 42 4.2.2.3 Marine sampling equipment _________________________________________________________ 45 4.2.1 Sub-surface ice-shelf profiling ____________________________________________________________ 49 4.2.2 Benthic survey ________________________________________________________________________ 51 4.2.3 Sea ice ______________________________________________________________________________ 53 4.2.4 Oceanography and marine ecology ________________________________________________________ 54 4.3 Research Cooperation with the AlFred Wegener Institute, Germany _______________________ 56 4.4 Marine Archaeology ______________________________________________________________ 57 3 5. Alternatives _________________________________________________________________ 62 5.1 Do not proceed __________________________________________________________________ 62 5.2 Alternative locations ______________________________________________________________ 63 5.2.1 Alternative ice shelf locations ____________________________________________________________ 63 5.2.2 Alternative marine archaeological location _________________________________________________ 64 5.3 Alternative vessels _______________________________________________________________ 64 5.3.1 MS Murmansk ________________________________________________________________________ 64 5.3.2 Oden ________________________________________________________________________________ 65 5.4 Alternative timing ________________________________________________________________ 66 5.5 Reduced period of operation _______________________________________________________ 67 5.6 Reduced scale of the research programme ____________________________________________ 67 5.6.1 Reduce the spatial scale ________________________________________________________________ 67 5.6.2 Fewer people _________________________________________________________________________ 68 5.6.3 Less or no invasive sampling _____________________________________________________________ 68 6. Description of the Existing Environmental State ____________________________________ 70 6.1 Introduction and early discoveries ___________________________________________________ 70 6.2 Bathymetry and Geomorphology ____________________________________________________ 72 6.3 Oceanography ___________________________________________________________________ 74 6.4 Sea ice _________________________________________________________________________ 76 6.5 Glaciology / Ice shelves ____________________________________________________________ 77 6.6 Ecosystems _____________________________________________________________________ 79 6.6.1 Pelagic ecosystem _____________________________________________________________________ 79 6.6.2 Benthic ecosystem _____________________________________________________________________ 81 6.7 Megafauna ______________________________________________________________________ 83 6.7.1 Pinnipeds and cetaceans ________________________________________________________________ 83 6.7.2 Penguins and Sea birds _________________________________________________________________ 86 6.8 Protected and Managed Areas ______________________________________________________ 90 6.8.1 Antarctic Specially Protected and Specially Managed Areas ____________________________________ 90 6.8.2 Historic sites or monuments _____________________________________________________________ 91 6.8.3 CCAMLR marine spatial protection measures ________________________________________________ 92 6.8.3.1 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) ______________________________________________________ 92 6.8.3.2 CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Programme (CEMP) sites __________________________________ 93 6.8.3.3 Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) _________________________________________________ 94 6.8.3.4 Special Areas for Scientific Study ______________________________________________________ 94 7. Assessment of the Environmental Impacts ________________________________________ 96 7.1 Methods and Data ________________________________________________________________ 96 7.2 Outputs ________________________________________________________________________ 96 7.3 Exposures _______________________________________________________________________ 98 7.4 Impacts and Mitigation Measures ___________________________________________________ 99 7.4.1 Ship operations _______________________________________________________________________ 99 7.4.1.1 Potential impact: atmospheric emissions. _______________________________________________ 99 7.4.1.2 Potential impact: noise including marine noise _________________________________________ 102 7.4.1.3 Potential impact: accidental release of fuel. ____________________________________________ 102 7.4.1.4 Potential impact: production and release of waste ______________________________________ 103 7.4.1.5 Potential impact: water turbulence ___________________________________________________ 104 4 7.4.1.6 Potential impact: introduction of non-native species _____________________________________ 105 7.4.2 Research activity: Deployment of AUVs and ROV ____________________________________________ 106 7.4.2.1 Potential impact: noise, light and heat emissions ________________________________________ 106 7.4.2.2 Potential impact: equipment failure leading to loss of underwater vehicles ___________________ 107 7.4.2.3 Potential impact: water turbulence ___________________________________________________ 109 7.4.2.4 Potential impact: introduction of non-native species _____________________________________ 109 7.4.3 Research activity: Deployment of sediment and benthic sampling equipment _____________________ 110 7.4.3.1 Potential impact: physical disturbance of benthos _______________________________________ 110 7.4.3.2 Potential impact: loss of sampling equipment __________________________________________ 111 7.4.3.3 Potential impact: introduction of non-native species _____________________________________ 112 7.4.3.4 Potential impact: removal of native fauna and micro-flora