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

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
abandoned vessels documented in the Piti Channel and the Hagåtña Boat Basin were potential
navigation hazards, particularly those located in the center of the Piti Channel. Potential threats to
navigation in the CNMI are for the most part WWII era barges located in sheltered and nearshore areas
(Lord et al. 2003). A Japanese military freighter (possibly the Shoan Maru) is partially awash southeast of
Mañagha Island, Saipan (15.24N; 145.72E) and is a threat to navigation. The steel freighter, Sin Long No.
8, located in Tinian is partially exposed and is a threat to navigation.
The majority of current small boat groundings are the result of operator error. However, most major
groundings of larger ships (greater than 15 m in length) are typhoon related (Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands Coastal Resources Management 2001).
2.7.8.3 Fish Aggregating Devices
FADs consist of single or multiple floating devices (Samples and Hollyer 1989) connected to the ocean
floor by ballast or anchors. Usually prefabricated, FADs are designed to attract fish species to them
(Klima and Wickham 1971). Even though a naturally floating log attracts fish, it is not considered a FAD
because humans did not intentionally place it in the ocean (Blue Water 2002). Two fundamentally
different types of FADs have been employed since the 1970s: large floating FADs and small mid-water
FADs. Large FADs have been deployed in water depths exceeding 1,800 m for ocean pelagic commercial
and recreational fisheries. Small FADs have been used in more nearshore and coastal environments for
recreational fisheries in water depths ranging from 15 to 30 m (Rountree 1990).
The first FADs deployed within the study area were constructed by connecting three 55-gallon drums
together (Chapman 2004). Four of these FADs were deployed between 1979 and 1980. All were lost
within five months of deployment. The Northern Marianas Islands first deployed five FADs in conjunction
with the Pacific Tuna Development Foundation in 1980. Four of the five were lost within the first six
months (Chapman 2004). Currently, Guam maintains 16 FADs within 20 NM of the shoreline (Chapman
2004; DAWR 2004; Figure 2-11). Lost FADs are replaced within two weeks (Chapman 2004). The
Northern Marianas Islands has turned over deployment of FADs to a private contractor and currently
maintains 10 FADs deployed (three remaining) between the islands of Rota and Saipan (Chapman 2004;
CNMI DFW 2005).
Buoys—A buoy is a floating platform used for navigational purposes or supporting scientific instruments
that measure environmental conditions. Currently two meteorological buoys capable of measuring wave
energy, wave direction, and sea surface temperature are active and located in the study area (Figure 2-
11). One of these buoys supports oceanographic instruments and is owned by the Scripps Institution of
Oceanography (La Jolla, California), and is located off of Guam at 13°21'15" N, 144°47'20" E in 200 m of
water depth (CDIP 2005; NDBC 2005; StormSurf 2005). The other buoy is located off the coast of Saipan
(15°06’N, 145°30’E) and serves a meteorological purpose (StormSurf 2005; Figure 2-11). CRED (Coral
Reef Ecosystem Division – NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center) has deployed and currently
maintains subsurface instrument arrays on all of the islands in the study area, and has surface buoys on
Rota, Saipan, Pagan, Maug (Michael Parke personal communication).
2.8 LITERATURE CITED
Abraham, T., M. Beger, D. Burdick, E. Cochrane, P. Craig, G. Didonato, D. Fenner, A. Green, Y. Golbuu,
J. Gutierrez, M. Hasurmai, C. Hawkins, P. Houk, D. Idip, D. Jacobson, E. Jospeh, T. Keju, J.
Kuartei, S. Palik, L. Penland, S. Pinca, K. Rikim, J. Starmer, M. Trianni, S. Victor, and L.
Whaylen. 2004. Status of the coral reefs in Micronesia and American Samoa. Edited by R. Kelty,
and J. Kuartei. Pages 381-409 in C. Wilkinson, ed. Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2004.
Townsville, Queensland: Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Amesbury, S., R. Bonito, R. Chang, L. Kirkendale, C. Meyer, G. Paulay, R. Ritson-Williams, and T.
Rongo. 2001. Marine biodiversity resource survey and baseline reef monitoring survey of the
Haputo Ecological Reserve Area, COMNAVMARIANAS. Final. Mangilao, Guam: Marine
Laboratory, University of Guam.
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