2007-221 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Once these techniques are developed, a bimonthly census of fishes will be conducted In the near. shore region that will Involve at least 3-6 tows with each type of net In the vicinity of natural reef structures. Sites for these taws will be selected for their proximity to the sites surveyed by the RoxAnnT11 and DIDSONTm instruments. If feasible, the DIDSONTm will be used to observe the deployment of the nets , and the behavioral responses of the fishes to the capture techniques. b) Assessment of fishes In and above reef structures ; Two types of sampling gear will be used to directly sample the fish fauna Immediately around natural and artificial reef structures. To capture the fishes moving above and around the reefs, 100' x 6' multi-panel mesh gill nets (33' each of 6", 4" and 2" mesh) will be deployed between moored buoys above reef structures In the targeted areas. The nets will be fished for no more than 30 minutes at a time, and will be constantly tended to ensure that sea turtles and large fishes are recovered and Immediately released . Bimonthly surveys Involving 3-6 deployments of the net will be conducted at natural and artificial reef sites characterized by the sonar survey techniques. Because of the extreme effectiveness of gill nets, the technique Is prohibited for use in Florida, so special approval will be requested through the Commissions Special Activity License (SAL) program. To capture demersal fishes closely associated with the reef structures, bimonthly surveys will deploy 6 batted fish traps at the natural and artificial reef sites. These traps will be deployed for discrete 8-12 hour daytime and nighttime sampling episodes . 4) Comprehensive Data Analysis All data collected by all sampling techniques will be entered into a GIS-based data platform to enable comparisons of the different data sets and full characterization of each of the natural and artlHolal habitats. The grantee will work closely with the subcontractor, Florida institute of Technology to Incorporate the collected and analyzed data into the Grantee's own reef monitoring programs , although this effort will not supersede or replace the regulatory requirements presently In place. 5) Development of Future Research Key components to this research are to characterize the structure and function of natural reefs along the east coast of Florida and to determine if and how artificial reefs can approximate the function of the natural reefs. Our initial monitoring Df artificial reef habitats will test only one of the many types of reef structures that are available or have been proposed. We envision that development of the techniques described In this proposal will be of significant use for assessment of diverse types of reef structures. We therefore will begin to develop a series of experimental reefs that can be deployed and tested for several years, and then removed If necessary, In this component of the project, we will begin to Identify potential locations for the artificial reef testing site, and begin seeking the appropriate regulatory approvals for this endeavor. DELIVERABLES The grantee is required to submit: 1 ) Written or electronic monthly activity reports summarizing field and administrative activities related to progress toward completion of the above activity submitted to the Commission within the first 5 days of each month after the signing of this contract. 2) Written or electronic status reports summarizing field and administrative activities and summarizing collected data related to progress toward completion of the above activity submitted to the Commission at quarterly STATEMENT ON DISCLOSURE i