HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-221 7 / 7 a7
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA
GRANT AGREEMENT NO, FWC- 06720
THIS AGREEMENT made and entered into on the �_ day of �4 , 2007 , by and
between Florida Institute of Technology
ame
herein after called the Contractor, and INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, a Political Subdivision of the State
of Florida organized and existing under the Laws of the State of Florida, hereinafter called the
County.
WITNESSED:
That the Contractor and the County, for the consideration hereinafter named , agree as follows:
Article 1 , SCOPE OF WORK: The Contractor shall furnish all labor, services, equipment and
perform all the work described in the Specifications entitled:
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY NEARSHORE REEF MONITORING PROJECT
ATTACHMENT A — SCOPE OF SERVICES
GRANT AGREEMENT NO. FWC-06720
for Indian River County, Florida and shall do everything required by this Agreement and
Contract Documents.
Article 2. COMMENCEMENT AND COMPLETION & DAMAGES :
As time is of the essence, the Contractor will be required to commence work immediately after
receipt of the notice-to-proceed and shall complete the project before December 23, 2008
Article 3. THE CONTRACT SUM : In accordance with the Fee Schedule appended as
Attachment B, The County will pay the Contractor for performance of the Contract, subject to
additions and deductions provided therein, in current funds as follows:
Numerical Amount $250.000. 00
Written Amount Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars
Article 4, ACCEPTANCE AND PAYMENT: Contactor may make application for progress
payments at no less than monthly intervals. Progress payments will be subject to 10%
retainage. Invoices shall be accompanied by all monthly activity reports and status reports as
required in the scope of services attached as Attachment A. Upon submittal of final report,
contractor may make application for final payment and release of retainage. Upon receipt of
final report, the County Project Manager will review the report, and when he finds the work
acceptable under the terms of the Contract and the Contract fully performed, he will promptly
issue a final certificate, over his own signature, stating that the work provided for in this
Contract has been completed, and acceptable under the terms and the conditions thereof:
Withheld retainage will be paid to the Contractor by the County following County Commission
approval of the final Contract payment.
Before issuance of a final certificate, the contractor shall submit evidence satisfactory to the
County Project Manager that all payrolls, material bills, and other indebtedness connected
CONTRACT
the work have been paid. The making and acceptance of the final payment shall constitute a
waiver of all claims by the County, other than those arising from unsettled dens, from faulty
work appearing after final payment or from requirements of the Specificatlons and of all claims
by the Contractor, except those previously made and still unsettled .
Article 5. INDEMNIFICATION: The Contractor, upon his part, agrees to protect, indemnify and
save harmless the County from any liability to any persons for injuries to the person, including
loss of life, or damage to property, resulting from the acts or omissions of the Contractor in
performing his obligations under this Contract. The parties expressly recognize that the
relationship between the County and Contractor is that of owner and Independent contractor,
and that neither the Contractor nor any of his servants , agents, or employees shall ever be
considered to be an agent, servant, or employee of the County.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this agreement the day and year first
written above.
FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
150 WEST UNIVERSITY AVE.
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA 32901 John P Pclita A Jr.
BY Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
Witness Cc�G� 7 9 0 ' (SEAL)
Witness '7 4
(corporate seal I acceptable In place of witnesses)
INDIAN EtN4Ft COUNTY
BOARD OF G(YUNTY COMMISSION
GaryVWheelerjChalrman
Attest ' <<2ti ` 0061 ( (SEAL)
Fad: - Jeffery"K, Barton, Clerl f hurt
zeu ; 20-t APPROVED AS TO FORM . ajr T�_ ministr
D LEGAL SUFFICIENC
a ian E. FeV:"
Assistant County Attorney
CONTRACT
2
EXHIBIT "A"
SCOPE OF SERVICES
GRANT AGREEMENT FWC-06720
STATEMENT ON DISCLOSURE
ATTACHMENTA
SCOPE OF SERVICES
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY
ARTIFICIAL. REEF MONITORING GRANT
INTRODUCTION
In this project, the grantee will employ and evaluate new methods for assessing nearshore natural and
artiflclal reef structure and function. The results will be applicable for refinement of beach nourishment
programs and development of more ecologically appropriate structures used to mitigate for loss of hard
bottom structure In the near-share region as well as Improved assessment of beach rencurishment
Impacts on natural nearshore communitles,
The approach will combine traditional visual , video and digital photographic assessment of selected
habitats along with a suite of techniques that hold significant promise for analyzing the physical structure
and biological characteristics of the habitats. Efforts will focus on several natural near-shore reef
structures along the Indian River County coastline and on a 5 acre mitigation reef constructed by the
County over the last few years. These new techniques Include two different very high resolution sonar
sensors. In addition, direct assessment of fishes will be performed using existing fishery sampling
procedures that are not normally applied In the coastal zone.
Reef sites to be examined include:
1 ) Mitigation reef, constructed of 42,500 tons of limestone boulders and 25 Reef Balls (3500 Ib size).
This reef is located along reference markers R 91 .5 to R94 in Indian River county, and the geographic
boundaries of the reef are:
NW corner: 270 37.735'N x 800 20.886 W
NE corner: 27° 37.742'N x 80° 20.866' W
SW corner: 270 37.261 'N x 80° 20,687' W
SE corner; 270 37.268'N x 80° 20.666' W
2) Natural reef sites, sectors 1 and 21 located from R-5 to R-22 In Indian River County, There are six
sites within this area that are of specific Interest to the County, along transects from Inshore edge of
hardbottom habitat extending 150m offshore at R-5, R-6,51 R-81 R-9.51 R-10.5, and R-22.
The high resolution sonar systems are the RoxAnn7m system for acoustic ground discrimination and
seabed mapping, and the DIDSONT"' system for assessment of the abundance and size distribution of
fishes and turtles Inhabiting the region.
The RoxAnnT" system will be mounted on a small vessel for acoustical high-resolution mapping of the
selected near-shore bottom areas. Sand, bare rock, rock with fleshy macroalgal growth, rock with
filamentous algal growth, encrusting sponges, and worm rock are expected to produce clear patterns of
acoustic returns due to the differences in hardness and roughness of the surfaces. Other categorles that
become apparent from the patterns In the acoustic data will also be surveyed and ground-truthed to
identify corresponding bottom type. Using an acoustic means of determining bottom type removes our
reliance on clear water and calm seas for aerial photography and direct diver observations, thus allowing
us to map bottom areas and quantify benthlo habitats throughout the year to evaluate Intra-annual
variation In burial and exposure of reef area. Use of the RoxAnnTM will initially be coupled with standard
diver-operated survey techniques, including quadrat analysis using digital photography, so we anticipate
conducting Initial operations under calm sea conditions (<2' sea height or less in the near shore region).
The DIDSONM sonar is a high-frequency sonar, Initially developed for port security applications, that Is
rapidly finding many applications In fishery biology. This sonar uses focused nearly-parallel sound beams
to generate highly detailed "pictures" of stationary structures and moving organisms. Recent trials of the
DIDSONT ,' sonar in the Indian River Lagoon and St. Johns River demonstrated the ability to count,
measure and observe the behavior of fish as small as 2' anchovies against a rock background to as large
STATEMENT ON DISCLOSURE
anticipate observing sea turtles that utilize the reef structures, and all turtle encounters will be
documented and reported. The DIDSONT will initially be used in concert with standard underwater
video surveys to directly compare the utility of both methods.
In addition to the new sonar-based and standard visual assessment techniques, direct fishery sampling
procedures will also be employed to determine the species composition and relative abundance of fishes
in the different habitats. Because each type of sampling technique has Inherent limitations, a multi-
faceted sampling program will be used. Sampling methods include beach seines, entanglement nets and
traps.
Seine nets are commonly-used tools for the quantitative assessment of fishes in many habitats. They
are the primary sampling technique used by the FWCC's Fisheries Independent Monitoring Program in
the adjacent Indian River Lagoon and other estuaries throughout the stale. However, current seine
surveys of fishes in and near the surf zone are severely constrained by the difficultles in deploying and
operating standard nets along the shore, especially when sharp drop-offs in the substrate, high surf, and
strong along-shore currents prevent successful seining. Because of the difficulties in using standard
seine survey techniques, the approach will be modified for use on the open coast. We will deploy large
seine nets from a boat, using procedures similar to that employed by shore-based commercial seine net
fishermen. The standard net will be a 300' long x 8' deep center bag seine made of 1 " mesh. To capture
smaller juveniles that would pass through the 1 " mesh of the large net, a 50' long x 6' deep 1/" mesh
seine will be used when surf conciftions permit. These nets will be used to sample surf-zone fishes In
sandy areas adjacent to both natural and artificial reef structures.
Although seines will provide a broad assessment of species within 100' of the shoreline, they will not be
functional in deeper water, nor will they be efficient at capturing some of the species capable of avoiding
the net during deployment. The grantee will seek regulatory permission from the FWCC Special
Activities License Program for limited use of 100' x 6' multi-panel mesh gill nets to 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.
To asses the abundance of fishes immediately within or adjacent to the reef structures, two types of i
weighted fish traps will be baited and deployed for 8.12 hour periods from pre-set moorings on sandy
habitats or immediately adjacent to reef habitats. Both of these traps are made of coated wire mesh, and
are designed to capture small to medium sized demersal and bait fishes in saltwater environments
(httpJ/www,catchnbait.com/pinfish-bait-gsh4raps.htm) . The small 11 " x 11 " x 22" trap is made with 0.5""
x 1 " mesh, and two 1 .5" wide funnel entrances. This low-proffle trap should nestle easily within the
contours of natural reef structures. The larger trap is 18" x 17" x 24" (1 " mesh), with 2" funnel entrances,
The funnel entrances are equipped with °exit wall construction" to hinder fish escape.
Full development of these sampling techniques will enable far more comprehensive analyses of the
physical and community structure of east central Florida near-shore reefs than are presently possible.
The techniques can then be used to Improve our ability to determine impacts of beach nourishment on
the protected coastal reef communities and to assess the function of different types of mitigation reef
designs.
Specific Research Objectives
1 ) Assessment of Benthic Habitat Structure
a) Gear testing and ground truth analysis:
The RoxAnnT" sonar system will be used to assess the structure and composition of benthtc
habitats in the nearshore natural and artificial reef systems. The Initial surveys will be conducted to
"ground-truth" the RoxAnnTM to verify the signal characteristics of each type of bottom structure. l
These ground truth surveys will he conducted using sequential scanning of specific habitats using the
RoxAnnTM followed by diver surveys using visual assessment, as well as video and still photography.
b) Temporal and spatial assessment of benthtc habitat structure:
,
STATE14ENT ON DISCLOSURE
Following the Initial development of RoxAnnw sampling procedures, the grantee will establish a
bi-monthly sampling program to evaluate the temporal and spatial changes in benthlc habitat
structure. This assessment of seasonal patterns In burial/emergence of benthlc structures and
changes In eplbenthic blots will be conducted by repeated observations at sites marked by their GPS
coordinates.
2) Fyaluation of the DIDSON71•1 sonar for assessing fish abundance around benthlc structures
a) initial equipment evaluation period:
For Initial evaluation of the DIDSONTM sonar, the grantee will arrange to lease the instrument for
2-3 weeks during the spring 2007, and again in mid-lale summer 2007. Depending on the trial
performances of the DIDSON the rental costs may be applied to eventual purchase of the unit which
will remain the property of the Commission,
b) Evaluation methodology:
A number of approaches will be used to test the sonar and to determine the optimal methods for
use. One method will Involve direct comparison between video and sonar observations. A single
mounting frame will be constructed to hold both an underwater video camera and the DIDSONT"l
sonar transducer, The mounting frame and instrument array will be deployed in a variety of ways.
When conditions permit, a diver will be able to swim along short transacts, collecting simultaneous
visual and sonar records of the objects in front of the array. At other times, both In calm conditions
and when divers cannot operate safely, the Instrument array will be attached to a weighted tripod.
The tripod will then be lowered to the bottom and visual/sonar data on fish abundance and species
composition will collected as fish (and perhaps sea turtles) pass in front of the stationery observation
platform. For both of these methods, we expect that the sonar will have a much greater observational
range than the video system. However, as fish enter Into the shorter range of the video and can be
Identified, we should be able to track and Identify their sonar targets, developing the basis for sonar
Identification based on target shape and behavior.
Additional deployment methods will be tasted, Including nighttime studies In selected locations
using the sonar alone, and long-term (hours) evaluations that will help determine the temporal
variability of fish abundance In specific habitats.
c) Habitat assessment:
The Initial sensor methodology will be tested In the series of nearshore natural and artificial reef
systems that will be characterized by the RoxAnnT sonar. GPS locations of all video and sonar data
will he used to characterize the fish fauna and substrate composition of each habitat type.
3) Direct Assessment of Fish Abundance and species Composition
a) Assessment of fishes In near-shore sandy habitats adjacent to reef structures:
Two types of seine nets will be employed to sample fishes in the surf zone near natural structures;
the existing artificial reef structures are too far offshore for Inclusion In this portion of the study.
Operations wilt require coordinated efforts of a boat crew and participants on shore,
A 300' long x e' deep center bag seine made of 1 " mesh will be used to capture the large and
more mobile fishes that Inhabit the near shore habitat. This net will be deployed from a boat as it
moves outside the surf zone, stretching the net parallel to the shore. Lines attached to the ends of
the net will be passed to the shore craw with a "pneumatic line thrower" that Is typically used to pass
towing lines from tugs to other vessels, for mooring or rescue operations, and for military operations
(Restech Norway; www.restech .no). These line throwers can "shoot" a line over a distance of 70-100
m. Once the lines are passed to shore, the crew will be able to draw the seine through the surf, thus
capturing fish In the near shore region . A similar approach will use a 60' long x 6' deep (/<" mesh)
seine to capture juveniles that would pass through the mesh of the larger net.
STATEMENT ON DISCLOSURE
II
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
Intervals, due on or before:
June 4, 2007
September 3, 2007
December 3, 2007
February 4, 2008
3) A draft final report due on or before November 2, 2008 to provide at least
30 days for technical peer review and comments by the Commission staff
prior to the grant expiration date;
4) A final report due on or before the grant expiration date describing the
project with an evaluation of the work performed and the results and
benefits in sufficient detail to enable the Commission to assess the
success of the completed project. At a minimum, the final report shall
contain the following, Including any additional comments by the FWC
submitted in review of the draft:
a. A narrative section describing methods, results, statistical analysis;
b. A discussion section to provide:
I . conclusion and interpretation of results ;
fl . comparison of conclusions with other studies;
iii. possible future research questions;
Iv. problems that limited the results of the project.
c. Tables, charts and graphs;
5) All raw and summarized data, along with all (if available) digital images and
video will be required and must be provided on accompanying CD(s)
and/or DVD(s).
6) The entire hard copy final report also provided as a bookmarked Adobe
Acrobat (, pdf) file on a CD rom, suitable for posting on the internet,
INVOICES AND PAYMENTS
Following acceptance by the Commission of all required deliverables, the
Grantee will be reimbursed in a single final payment. Payment will be only for
budgeted expenses incurred during the agreement time period that are directly
related to the project
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STATEMENT ON DISCLOSURE
ATTACHMENT `B"
COST AND FEE SCHEDULE
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BUDGET
Item Cost
Salaries
Dr. J . Shenker (4 months) 25 , 000
Dr. E. Irlandi (4 months) 25 ,000
Benefits (26 . 3% of salaries) 13, 150
Student Support
2 full time students (12 months) 56,400
Part time students (hourly) 25 ,600
Supplies (seines, gill nets, fish traps,
boat fuel and equipment, sonar and 9804
camera mounts, etc,)
Equipment
Boat 8 , 000
RoxAnn "'A 20, 000
DIDSONT111 (rental and shipment) 25,000
Toughbook Meld computer 31781
Underwater video camera (low Ilght, 3 6 , 900
chi CCD and housing
Total Direct Cost 218 ,631
Overhead 31 , 369
TOTAL COST 250,000