Marine Produce Australia: Cone Bay Barramundi Aquaculture ...

Recommendations

Info

4.2 Sediment quality monitoring 4.2.1 Objectives The objective of the sediment quality monitoring component is to assess whether the EQC have been met within the MEPA and at the boundaries of the HEPA and MaxEPA. The sediment monitoring program includes the following analytes: sediment nutrients (total Kjeldahl nitrogen [TKN], total phosphorus [TP], total organic carbon [TOC LOI]) and redox discontinuity. 4.2.2 Responsibility Sediment quality monitoring shall be the responsibility of the Proponent (MPA). The work may be delegated to a nominated third party to undertake on behalf of the Proponent. 4.2.3 Timing Consistent with water quality sampling (refer Section 4.1.3) sediment sampling will be conducted at monthly intervals (four times in total) between June and September to capture the winter-spring dry period, and then again at monthly intervals (four times in total) between December and March to capture the summer-autumn wet period. The design, frequency and scope of the water quality monitoring program will be reviewed after the first two years of implementation in consultation with the OEPA. 4.2.4 Sampling regime Sampling sites On each of the four dry season and four wet season sampling occasions, five replicate sediment cores will be collected from each of the 13 compliance sites 11 (encompassing five sites within the MEPA and four sites within each of the High and Maximum Ecological Protection Areas) and eight reference sites (Figure 4.1). While HEPA and MaxEPA site samples will be sampled at fixed locations at the boundaries of the respective Ecological Protection Areas, MEPA samples will be collected at fixed distances from the sea-cages on an incoming tide (Figure 4.1). Samples will be collected downstream of the sea-cages at distance intervals of 0 m, 10 m, 50 m, 100 m and 200 m in the direction of the prevailing current (as indicated by a surface drogue). A maximum of eight randomly allocated reference sites will be selected to the north of the lease, approximately half way between the maximum protection boundary and the Razor Islands. The suitability of the reference sites will be reviewed after the first two years of implementation in consultation with the OEPA. GPS coordinates for the compliance sites are provided in Appendix C. Sediment parameters to be measured The suite of sediment quality parameters to be measured on each of the four dry season sampling occasions is detailed in Table 4.4. Table 4.4 Suite of sediment quality parameters to be measured on each sampling occasion Protection Sediments Zone TKN TP TOC Redox discontinuity MEPA � � � � HEPA � � � � MaxEPA � � � � Reference � � � � Sediment sampling methods: TOC and nutrients Sediment samples will be collected from a vessel using a core sampler. Five cores samples incorporating the upper 2 cm of sediment will be taken at each site. Each of the five cores 11 While site Max4 has been included at the boundary of the HEPA/MAXEPA, this site may be characterised by different sediment quality given its proximity to a tidal (mangrove dominated) lagoon. Results obtained at this site may be eliminated from the data if it is found that the lagoon is artificially inflating the results. 22 Oceanica: Marine Produce Australia: Cone Bay Barramundi Aquaculture, Environmental Monitoring & Management Plan
shall be homogenised to form one sample as shown in Figure 4.3. Remaining sediment will be used to form a duplicate sample. While both samples will be frozen for transport to the laboratory, only one of the samples will be analysed immediately. The other sample will be analysed in the event that the EQG is exceeded. Figure 4.3 Sampling protocol for MEPA sediment nutrients Analyses will be undertaken by NATA-accredited laboratories. Sample analysis will achieve LORs equal to or less than the ANZECC/ARMCANZ (2000) sediment quality guidelines. Where concentrations are less than LOR, the limits of reporting will be used in the calculations. Sediment sampling methods: redox discontinuity Sediment redox discontinuity will be sampled in the MEPA, HEPA and MaxEPA using an appropriately sensitive field probe. A written description will be made of each core taking note of the following parameters (DPIW 2008): � Length of core measured in millimetres; � Approximate depth (mm) of the redox discontinuity layer; � Visible animal and/or plant life; and � Any sediment odour indicating presence/absence of hydrogen sulphide. 4.2.5 Environmental Quality Criteria The EQG and EQS have been developed to provide early warning of the potential for adverse effects relating to sediment nutrients, organic enrichment, and sediment oxygen concentration. The EQC were developed in the context of the likely cause-effect-pathway shown in Figure 4.2. Monitoring against the EQG will proceed on an annual basis. Monitoring associated with the EQS will proceed only upon exceedance of the EQG. Environmental Quality Guidelines The EQG for sediment nutrients are outlined in Table 4.5. For details on how to apply the EQG (particularly those listed beneath moderate protection), refer to Section 5.1. Oceanica: Marine Produce Australia: Cone Bay Barramundi Aquaculture, Environmental Monitoring & Management Plan 23
Page 1: Marine Produce Australia: Cone Bay
Page 5 and 6: Client: Marine Produce Australia Re
Page 7 and 8: Contents 1.� Purpose of this docu
Page 9: List of Figures Figure 1.1� Locat
Page 12 and 13: Table 1.1 Environmental Values and
Page 14 and 15: In addition to the Conditions and C
Page 17: Note: The habitats shown above are
Page 20 and 21: 2.3.1 Site selection Aquaculture ca
Page 22 and 23: 3. Environmental Objectives 3.1 Bes
Page 24 and 25: 4. Marine Monitoring Program Fish-f
Page 26 and 27: the bottom of the water column. Sta
Page 28 and 29: Table 4.2 EQG for water quality EQG
Page 30 and 31: Table 4.3 EQS for water quality EQS
Page 34 and 35: Table 4.5 EQG for sediments EQG Ind
Page 36 and 37: 4.3 Coral reef monitoring 4.3.1 Obj
Page 38 and 39: Indicator Light attenuation Chlorop
Page 40 and 41: 4.4 Sediment infauna monitoring 4.4
Page 42 and 43: Indicator Zone of Ecological Protec
Page 44 and 45: 4.5 Biota monitoring and management
Page 46 and 47: 5. Marine Environmental Management
Page 48 and 49: Monitor Are�any�sea-cages�wit
Page 50 and 51: sample median calculated. However,
Page 52 and 53: EQG�(i)�or�(ii)� exceeded T
Page 54 and 55: 5.4.2 Movement of stock Movement or
Page 56 and 57: 7. Stakeholder Consultation 7.1 Det
Page 58 and 59: 8. Additional information Additiona
Page 60 and 61: � Administer all prescribed medic
Page 62 and 63: Category Issue Consequence Likeliho
Page 65 and 66: 9. Acknowledgements This EMMP was p
Page 67 and 68: EPA (2008) Report and recommendatio
Page 69: Appendix A Ministerial Statement 79
Page 72 and 73: 2 Proponent Nomination and Contact
Page 74 and 75: 2. Within the zone of High Ecologic
Page 76 and 77: The Proposal (Assessment No. 1642)
Page 78 and 79: Figure 1: Zones of ecological prote
Page 81: Appendix B Method Statement: Geo-re
Page 84 and 85:
Report No. OCEMPA001 Rev A Revision
Page 86 and 87:
1. Introduction Geo Oceans was comm
Page 88 and 89:
efore smoothly decreasing to zero a
Page 90 and 91:
Table 3 Data fields captured in the
Page 92 and 93:
3. Results A total of 27332 rows of
Page 94 and 95:
Figure 3 Hard coral percent cover d
Page 96 and 97:
Appendix 2: Video analysis substrat
Page 99:
Proposed Seagrass, water quality an
Page 105:
Appendix E Responses to comments re
Page 108 and 109:
Version Author Authority Comment MP
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124:
show all

Marine Produce Australia: Cone Bay Barramundi Aquaculture ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?