1. Brian Dresser (Tetra Tech), Jessica Bassi (NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic), Tracey McKenzie (NAVFAC Mid- Atlantic), Ian Trefry (NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic), Deena Anderson (Tetra Tech), Chris Soucier (Tetra Tech) Approach to Nearshore Marine Surveys at NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Installations: Case-Study at SUBASE New London

2. Purpose and need for baseline assessments of nearshore marine resources Types of surveys conducted ▪Methods ▪Equipment ▪Personnel Example project – SUBASE New London ▪Unique findings ▪Implications for Management of ESA Resources Tie-in with natural resource management program and military mission Overview 2 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

3. Nearshore marine resources and aquatic habitats are often underrepresented in INRMPs Establishing a baseline of fish populations and habitat resources will better prepare the installation for management of protected resources (current and future listings) Monitoring changes to the baseline Nearshore marine resources are often essential to an installation’s military mission ▪Training ▪Infrastructure/public works ▪MWR Purpose and Need 3 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

4. Nearshore Marine Surveys at NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Installations 4 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

5. Methods Used Methods based on existing nationwide and regional monitoring protocols One sampling event per season to capture variability Nearshore surveys included: ▪Benthic habitat ▪Benthic infauna & sediment ▪Fish trawls, gill nets, ichthyoplankton, telemetry ▪Marine mammals ▪Intertidal flora and fauna ▪Water quality 5 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

6. Benthic Habitat Imagery Desktop assessment of existing resources northeastoceandata.org Side scan sonar characterized habitat features Underwater video/still photo transects and unique features 6 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

7. Benthic Habitat Imagery Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic7

8. Benthic Habitat Imagery Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic8

9. Benthic Grab Samples Van Veen grab sampler used during spring & summer Sediment grain size Organic content (TOC) Benthic infauna 9 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

10. Benthic Grab Samples Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic10

11. Adult & Juvenile Fish Surveys – Otter Trawls Small-mesh otter trawls collect juvenile and adult fish Multiple short tows (10 min) characterize area and minimize mortality Teamed with commercial fishermen and university resources for local expertise and safety considerations 11 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

12. Fish Surveys Trawls collected at 3-5 locations at each installation Local knowledge of boat captains helped determine best locations within survey area Fish processed and ID’d onsite Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic12

13. Fish Surveys For large numbers of fish, up to 30 individuals were measured/weighed Bulk weights obtained for the remaining individuals Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic13

14. Early Lifestage Fish Surveys – Ichthyoplankton Tows Standard 100 m 3 volume collected for density calculations 0.300 mm mesh captures all lifestages Samples preserved and sent to laboratory for ID 14 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

15. Marine Mammal Surveys Dedicated MMO onboard during vessel-based surveys Standard protocols followed for visual surveys Bottlenose dolphins, harbor seals, and gray seals observed 15 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

16. Intertidal Surveys Transects covered representative habitats during peak growing season All macrofauna/flora identified within quadrats set within the intertidal range 16 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

17. Water Quality In-situ measurements Temperature Salinity pH Dissolved oxygen turbidity Laboratory analyses Total suspended solids Total nitrogen Total phosphorus 17 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

18. Marine Species Diversity 18 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic NCTAMS CutlerPortsmouth Naval Shipyard SUBASE New London Naval Station Norfolk JEB Little Creek JEB Fort Story Dominant Habitat Types Rocky intertidal, kelp beds, coarse sand, cobble Rocky intertidal, kelp beds, coarse sand, mud Silty soft bottom, artificial substrate in part of intertidal Sand, cobble, gravel, with salt marsh along parts of the shore Sand, mud, salt marsh, and man-made oyster reefs in intertidal Sand, with an artificial rock groin in intertidal Marine Mammal Species Observed 1 Gray seal 1 Harbor seal None1 Bottlenose dolphin 1 Bottlenose dolphin 1 Bottlenose dolphin Fish Species Observed 211129483137 Benthic Infauna Taxa 14 (Spring) 32 (Summer) 21 (Spring) 24 (Summer) 14 (Spring) 26 (Summer) 17 (Spring) 14 (Summer) 11 (Spring) 15 (Summer) 6 (Spring) 12 (Summer) Intertidal Species Observed 492815201413 Number of ESA Species Observed None in this survey 1 Atlantic sturgeon None in this survey Number of EFH Species 833355

19. Case Study – SUBASE New London Located on a tidal estuary of Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Thames River No previous nearshore assessment data No occurrences of ESA-listed aquatic species 19 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

20. Targeted ESA Surveys One of the purposes of the survey was to document presence/absence of ESA-listed species Targeted ESA surveys require permit Obtained Section-10 coverage from regional permit-holders in Maine, New Hampshire, and Virginia NMFS issued a site-specific NLTAA determination for incidental take coverage at SUBASE New London, Connecticut 20 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

21. Fish Surveys – Telemetry Datalogging receivers anchored at two installations (Cutler, New London) Portsmouth and Virginia installations already have receiver arrays in-place Objective was to detect previously tagged fish at each installation, particularly ESA-listed species (Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon) 9 months of continuous monitoring Two previously-tagged fish detected at New London Striped bass Atlantic sturgeon Receivers at Cutler lost at sea or removed by lobstermen 21 Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic

22. Identification of Fish Tagged by Other Researchers Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network theactnetwork.com/ Researchers can be contacted based on the unique ID of their tags Facilitates data-sharing Expands the reach of survey and sample size Striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon detected at SUBASE New London Would not have obtained this data without this type of cooperative effort among researchers Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic22

23. Evidence of Migratory Fish Use at SUBASE New London Although only two individual tagged fish were detected at SUBASE New London, there may be others Atlantic Sturgeon: ▪Four detections on 3 June 2015 ▪Seven detections on 4 June 2015 ▪Tagged as a sub-adult in 2014 off of Long Island by Dr. Keith Dunton while with Stony Brook University (personal communication) Striped Bass: ▪Ten detections on 23 July 2015 ▪Female, 890 mm, tagged in early April 2014 in the Potomac River, Maryland, by the Secor Lab at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (Dr. David Secor and Michael O’Brien, personal communication) ▪Spent the spring of both 2014 and 2015 in the Potomac River, then moved off of Montauk in eastern Long Island, New York for the summer and fall. In the summer of 2015, she then moved into Long Island Sound and the Thames River Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic23

24. Filling-in Data Gaps for an ESA-listed Population The 2007 Status Review for Atlantic Sturgeon confirms that very little data exist for the Thames River, where the SUBASE is located The detection of a single Atlantic sturgeon in the Thames River has State and Federal sturgeon biologists eager to obtain additional data collection efforts Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic24

25. Improved Marine Resource Management Baseline surveys provide valuable data ▪Presence of ESA-listed species ▪Distribution of fish with EFH or of economic importance ▪Better information improves management via INRMPs ▪Site-specific NEPA documentation Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic25

26. Acknowledgements Nearshore Marine Surveys for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic26 AffilliationPersonnelRole Navy Port Operations and Natural Resource Managers; Jessica Bassi, Ian Trefry, Tracey McKenzie, Sharon Waligora Installation access and coordination Tetra Tech, Inc. Deena Anderson, Bob Feldpausch, Brad Agius, Ann Zoidis, Melody Baran, Tyler Gaudet, Tom Ingra, Joe Campo, James Cook, Nicc Johnson, Kevin Lamontagne, Nick Welz, Tim Feehan, Chris Soucier Data collection and analysis Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)John Olney Jr., Capt. Voigt “Bubba” Hogge, Keith Mayer Survey vessels; R/V Tidewater, F/V Nicole Leigh, F/V Florence Dana Hammond FisheriesCapt. Dana Hammond, Anthony Stanton CR Environmental, Inc.Chip Ryther, Capt. Mike Theiler US Fish & Wildlife ServiceMalcolm Mohead ESA Section 10 Permit Coordination Maine Department of Marine ResourcesGail Whippelhauser Environmental Research & Consulting, Inc.Hal Brundage, John O’Herron ESA Section-10 Permit holders/field support Environmental Consulting Services, Inc.Alvin Maiden, Colleen Kernehan Laboratory analysis Ecological Consulting OrganizationKeith Brewer Test America, Inc.Emily Bauer Chesapeake Biological LaboratoryDr. David Secor Telemetry data sharing Stony Brook University/Monmouth UniversityDr. Keith Dunton