Appendix J Supplemental Aircraft Carrier Marine Surveys

504 Pages·2010·38.22 MB·English

by  Rachel Ross

Appendix J
Supplemental Aircraft Carrier Marine Surveys

1. Assessment of Stony Corals Between Orote Point and Sumay Cove Apra
Harbor, Guam. April 2006
2. Marine Biological Survey of Oscar and Papa Wharves, Inner Apra Harbor
Guam. Review Draft 2008
3. Ecological Assessment of Stony Corals and Associated Organisms in the
Eastern Portions of Apra Harbor, Guam. August 2007.
4. On Coral Size and Problems with Unlocking the Inherent Information. April
2010.
5. Final Comparison of a Photographic and an In Situ Method to Assess the
Coral Reef Benthic Community in Apra Harbor, Guam. May 3, 2010.
6. Assessment of Benthic Community Structure in the Vicinity of the Proposed
Turning Basin and Berthing Area for Carrier Vessel Nuclear (CVN), Apra
Harbor Guam. July 12, 2009.
7. Peer Review of Assessment of Benthic Community Structure in the Vicinity
of the Proposed Turning Basin and Berthing Area for Carrier Vessel Nuclear
(CVN), Apra Harbor Guam. August 2009.
8. Quantitative Assessment of Reef Fish Communities in Apra Harbor Guam
(Draft). August 7, 2009.
9. Cover letter and Scope of Work for Marine Surveys for the CVN Project
Area and Potential Mitigation Sites, and Habitat Equivalency Analysis. May
and June 2010.
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Appendix J – Supplemental Aircraft Carrier Marine
Surveys
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Appendix J
Supplemental Aircraft Carrier Marine Surveys

1. Assessment of Stony Corals Between Orote Point and Sumay Cove Apra
Harbor, Guam. April 2006
This Page Intentionally Left Blank.
ASSESSMENT OF STONY CORALS BETWEEN

OROTE POINT AND SUMAY COVE

APRA HARBOR, GUAM

Prepared by

Stephen H. Smith
Marine Ecologist
Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center

and

Donald E. Marx Jr.
Natural Resources Specialist
Naval Facilities Engineering Command, MIDLANT

April, 2006
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Kilo Wharf is a 400-foot (122 meters [m]) long ammunition pier located along the Orote
Peninsula in Apra Harbor, Guam. The wharf is part of the Apra Harbor Naval Complex (Figure
1). In order to accommodate a new class of supply vessel, the wharf must be expanded. An EIS is
being prepared to address the potential environmental concerns. This report is intended to
provide supplemental information in support of the EIS process.

Guam is located in the tropical western Pacific and is the southern most and largest island in the
Marianas Archipelago. Guam falls within the marine biogeographic region known as the Indo-
Pacific. This region is widely recognized as supporting the world’s most diverse assemblage of
corals, fishes and other associated coral reef organisms.

In 2004 detailed quantitative studies of the marine community around Kilo Wharf were
completed and the area was divided into ten distinct habitats (Figure 2). The present study was
performed to provide comparable detail for the remaining portions of the peninsula fronting Apra
Harbor.

Our findings are very briefly summarized below:

• Reef building stony corals are the dominant benthic organisms in the 3 to 100 foot (1 –
31 m) depth zone between Orote Point and the Sumay Cove Entrance Channel.
• Porites rus is the dominant coral species within this entire area, although its dominance is
less pronounced at the eastern and western ends of the study area and at depths greater
than 70 feet (22 m).
• The reef between Orote Point and the Sumay Cove Entrance Channel is biologically
significant based on six global standards: 1) the percentage of the sea floor covered by
live coral, 2 – 4) the size frequency distribution, growth forms and apparent health of the
corals, 5 – 6) the physical complexity and rugosity of the reef.
• The fringing reef and fringing reef slope areas adjacent to Kilo Wharf are not
substantially different than the fringing reef and fringing reef slope along the other
portions of the peninsula facing Apra Harbor.
• Two species of sea turtles have been sighted within the study area, the Endangered
Hawksbill turtle and the Threatened Green sea turtle.
• One listed marine fish Species of Concern, the Napoleon (Humphead) wrasse (Cheilinus
undulatus) was observed.
• All of Apra Harbor has been designated Essential Fish Habitat (EFH); however, none of
Orote Peninsula has been designated as EFH Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC).
There are four criteria for designation of HAPC, only one of the criteria needs to be met
for designation. Most of the peninsula meets two of the four criteria for designation as
HAPC.

The marine environment within the 3 to 100 foot (1 – 31 m) depth range, between Orote Point
and the Sumay Cove entrance channel shows a high degree of uniformity. There are no
substantive differences in the ecological values provided by the coral reef areas adjacent to Kilo
Wharf and the ecological values provided by the remainder of the peninsula. All of these
locations are significant from the perspective of corals, coral reefs and associated organisms.