Section 1 Introduction - National Marine Fisheries Service - NOAA

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NBK at Bangor EHW-1 Pile Replacement Project Final Marine Mammal Monitoring Report Astoria, Oregon, in 1997, as numbers of sea lions foraging for salmonids in upriver areas continued to increase (NOAA 2008). The goal of this project was to apply permanent, individually identifiable marks to California sea lions using the Columbia to: (1) observe the movements and activities of individual sea lions in the river; (2) describe foraging patterns of individual animals; and (3) document the recurrence of individual sea lions at specific foraging areas from year to year. By 2006, nearly 1,000 California sea lions had been captured at the Astoria trap, 621 of which were permanently and uniquely marked with “C” brands (NOAA 2008). Branding of California sea lions also occurred at other locations including Puget Sound and at San Miguel Island, California (NOAA 2008). Marine Mammal Sightings (Construction and Non-Construction Periods) A total of 376 sightings of 801 individual marine mammals were observed during the EHW-1 PRP timeframe (Table 8). Four species were sighted: the California sea lion, harbor seal, harbor porpoise, and Steller sea lion. The harbor seal was the most frequently sighted species (n=308, 0.38 sightings per observer hour), and the California sea lion was the most abundant marine mammal species (n=401 individuals, 50%), followed by the harbor seal (n=353 individuals, 44%) (Table 8). The mean number of California sea lions per sighting (10.3) was more than 9 times that for harbor seals (mean group size 1.1 animals per sighting) (Table 8, Figure 6). There were only 12 sightings of harbor porpoise for a total of 27 individuals during the course of the project. This low number was likely due to the fact that monitoring efforts outside the WRA consisted of only one vessel for the EHW-1 PRP, and harbor porpoise were never sighted inside the WRA fence. There were 15 sightings of Steller sea lions for a total of 18 individuals during the course of EHW-1 repairs. All Steller sea lion sightings, with the exception of two, were of animals hauled out on submarines at Delta Pier (Figure 5). The largest observed group size for any species in the project area was 38 California sea lions; this sighting was on a day when these animals were hauled out on the WRA fence , approximately 1,300 meters from the EHW-1 piles, in relatively large numbers (Appendix E). There were also two sightings for a total of two unidentified pinnipeds: a possible Steller sea lion and a possible harbor seal (Table 8, Figure 6). Species Table 8. Summary of Marine Mammal Sightings during EHW-1 (Construction and Non-Construction Periods) Total Number of Animals Total Number of Sightings Sightings per Observer Hour Mean Group Size Modal Group Size Max Group Size Harbor porpoise 27 12 0.01 2.3 2 2 1 Harbor seal 353 308 0.38 1.1 1 8 1 California sea lion 401 39 0.05 10.3 1 38 1 Steller sea lion 18 15 0.02 1.2 1 2 1 Unidentified pinnipeds* 2 2
NBK at Bangor EHW-1 Pile Replacement Project Final Marine Mammal Monitoring Report Figure 6. Mean Number of Animals per Sighting (Construction and Non-Construction Periods) Marine Mammal Sightings (Construction Only) Four marine mammal species were observed during pile driving activities: California sea lion, Steller sea lion, harbor seal, and harbor porpoise (Table 9). Pile installation and removal activities included soft start procedures and the actual installation or removal of a pile. Since EHW-1 repairs during this year did not involve the use of an impact hammer, there were only two types of construction: vibratory pile driving (V), and vibratory soft start (SSV). Soft starts involved several preliminary hammer strikes, performed at reduced force, to the pile about to be driven. Soft starts were intended to provide an opportunity for nearby marine animals to voluntarily leave the area, and thus avoid potential injury and/or harassment. Figure 5 and Figures 7 through 9 depict all marine mammal observations made throughout the EHW-1 PRP during construction and non-construction periods. Those recorded during pile driving activities are indicated in red. A total of 95 sightings of 222 individual marine mammals were observed during pile installation and removal activities (Table 9). Four species were sighted: the California sea lion, harbor seal, harbor porpoise, and Steller sea lion. The California sea lion and the harbor seal were the most frequently sighted and most abundant marine mammal species during pile-driving monitoring efforts (Tables 8 and 9). The harbor seal was the most frequently sighted species (n=64 sightings 0.87 sightings per observer hour) while the California sea lion was the second-most frequently sighted (n=25 sightings; 26%). The California sea lion was most abundant (n=131individuals; 59%), with the harbor seal ranking second (n=81 animals, 36%). Steller sea lion sightings are addressed separately in more detail, due to concerns relative to takes authorized in the IHA. Bangor, Washington 35
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Section 1 Introduction - National Marine Fisheries Service - NOAA

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