Progress report summarizing the reef fish sampling, PCB - Earthjustice

all taken by hook and line. Also, an unidentified species of hake (Urophyces sp.)
was caught in a chevron trap during sample round #1. The little tunny would have
been a transient pelagic and the other four species would typically have been on or
near the seafloor and beyond operational observational depth limits of the FWC
divers.
There have been several technical divers not affiliated with FWC who have reported
additional species from areas of the Oriskany Reef. These specimens were
documented at depths greater than 140 feet that are not accessible to FWC because
the depths exceeded FWC dive standard depth limitations. These areas were from
below the flight deck (below 140 feet) and in interior overhead environments.
Additional fish species observed were: Goliath grouper (Stanton, personal
communication, 2007), two spot cardinal fish, several unidentified carcharhinid
sharks, and a speckled hind (Bartel, personal communication, 2008).
II (A) (2) Nearby Site #1 Site Assessment
On November 19, 2009, FWC divers conducted a dive assessment on both the
Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge #1 Reef (aged 2.92 years) and the Oriskany Reef
(aged 3.51 years). Table 4 (Appendix I) lists the fish species observed on the
Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge #1, a reef sampled for 61 reef fish specimens for PCB
analysis during sampling rounds #3 (February 2008) and #4 (April 2008) and which
served as an artificial reef reference site for the Oriskany Reef monitoring project.
Located in 84-85 feet of water, the reef is located approximately 8.2 nautical miles
at bearing of 290° NW from the Oriskany Reef. The Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge
#1 Reef was deployed from January 19, 2006 to December 18, 2006 and consisted of
17 loads and a total of 8,140 tons of concrete pilings, decking, and railings from a
damaged highway bridge (US-98) formerly spanning Pensacola Bay from Pensacola
to the City of Gulf Breeze. This reef covers about 2 acres of bottom and has a
maximum vertical relief of 16 feet.
Of the 28 species observed by FWC divers during the assessment of the bridge reef,
12 species were not observed on the Oriskany Reef on that day. However, only two
of those 12 species would be considered target species for anglers, the red grouper
and lane snapper. A red grouper was eventually caught on the Oriskany Reef
during sample round #8, however has not yet been analyzed for PCB
concentrations. Lane snapper, the species on the lowest priority Monitoring Work
Plan targeted reef fish list were neither seen nor caught during the first eight
sampling rounds on the Oriskany Reef The difference between species observed
could be expected as a result of the ability to assess the sand bottom interface at the
concrete reef due to the shallower 84 foot depth as opposed to the Oriskany Reef
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