Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating ... - SPREP

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
REPORT ORGANIZATION
This report consists of eight chapters and four appendices:
Chapter 1 Introduction⎯provides an explanation of the purpose and need of the MRA, defines the
location of the study area, reviews the relevant environmental legislation, and describes the methodology
used in the MRA.
Chapter 2 Physical Environment and Habitats⎯describes the environment (climate and weather,
marine geology, oceanic circulation, hydrography), biological oceanography (primary and secondary
production), and benthic and coastal habitats and associated organisms of the Marianas MRA study area.
Chapter 3 Species of Concern⎯covers marine mammals and sea turtles found in the Marianas MRA
study area. The section on marine mammals first discusses the sound production and reception by
marine mammals and the associations marine mammals have with the different habitats in the MRA
study area. The section goes on to present the occurrences of marine mammals in the study area
differentiating the threatened and endangered marine mammals from the non-threatened and nonendangered
species. The section on sea turtles provides a general description of the life history of sea
turtles (including description, status, habitat preferences, and distribution), an account of the sea turtles
that occur in the study area, and detailed information on the dynamics of each sea turtle species within
the study area (including behavior and life history).
Chapter 4 Fish and Fisheries⎯discusses the general occurrence of fishes and invertebrates in the
study area and defines the EFH. Fish and invertebrate species are then presented by management units
covering the bottom, pelagic, crustacean, and coral reef ecosystem management unit species. For each
management unit species, the report includes a discussion of the distribution, habitat preference, life
history, EFH designations, and HAPC designations. The chapter also discusses fisheries in the study
area (pelagic, bottomfish, and reef fisheries; ports; fishing areas; and fishing tournaments).
Chapter 5 Additional Considerations⎯provides information on maritime boundaries, navigable
waterways and commercial shipping lanes, MMAs (local and federal), and SCUBA diving sites.
Chapter 6 Recommendations⎯identifies what needs to be done to fill data gaps and fully assess the
marine resources of the Marianas MRA study area. The recommended work is prioritized using a
cost/benefit approach.
Chapter 7 List of Preparers⎯lists all individuals who helped prepare this MRA.
Chapter 8 Glossary⎯includes definitions of the terms used in the MRA.
Appendix A⎯contains source information for marine mammal and sea turtle data, data confidence
levels, map projection information, and map figures illustrating the sighting survey effort of those surveys
used in the Marianas MRA study area and vicinity.
Appendix B⎯marine mammal occurrence maps.
Appendix C⎯sea turtle occurrence maps.
Appendix D⎯EFH maps.
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