1. Underwater Acoustic Camera Surveillance of Pile Driving Associated with Navy Proposed Actions in the Mid-Atlantic Region
W.S. Chappell, C. Hotchkin, and J. Bort
Our project is somewhat generically entitled ____. This project was funded by U.S. Fleet Forces Command to study the effects of training activities like this temporary pier construction on marine life. Those are 24 in steel pilings driven by an impact hammer along a beach in Virginia.
Present Time: 6:10:06 PM

2. Introduction and Background
Sound stressors have potential adverse effects & Federal actions with sound stressors require analysis for environmental compliance documentation.
Available fish/invertebrate research based on modeling, confined or remotely tracked organisms and/or simulated sound
Hawkins (2014)
More direct observations needed on the realistic effect of sound stressors on fish and invertebrates in terms that are biologically relevant
6:10:06 PM

3. Research Question
Are there significant differences in the abundance and/or behavior of fish and invertebrates before vs. after commencement of impact pile driving during 4-5 hour periods (2 hours before & 2 hours during/after)?
The chart from Kunc et al. (2016) shows the measures of biological relevance with regard to sound. Our study looks at proximate individual responses in terms of behavior that may lead to ecological effects.
Kunc et al. (2016)
6:10:06 PM

4. This is the study area with two sample locations of the hopefully 4-5 samples we hope to acquire in the Mid-Atlantic region. This map also shows the relative intensity of human activities, including vessel traffic that makes some locations very noisy or relatively quiet.
6:10:06 PM

5. Primary Data Collection
Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar record video observations (right)
Coupled with sound recording (below)
Observation area (range and area): 10 m and 23.7 m2
Sample location & duration: Within modeled effect range (>150 dB SEL) for 4-5 hours in the morning
The relatively turbid environment around Navy piers in the study area required the use of an Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar, or ARIS…
6:10:06 PM

6. Ancillary Data Collection
Weather Conditions (e.g., BSS, wind direction, cloud cover)
Water Conditions (e.g., substrate, water type, water clarity)
ARIS parameters (e.g., location, depth, view heading/angle)
Recording Parameters (e.g., frequency, gain, pulse width, focus)
Treatment Stressor information (e.g., distance/bearing to pile driving, start-time, end-time)
Non-treatment stressor notes (e.g., vessel passage)
6:10:06 PM

7. Sample Event #1: Elevated Causeway at JEB Little Creek
Date: 4/19/16 (control & treatment)
Depth: 5 m
Duration: 4 hours (2 hours before & 2 hours during/after)
Treatment: Impact pile driving (distance: 515 m)
Marine life observed: schools of small perciforms, decapod crabs, and occasional large perciform, horseshoe crab(s) or ray
6:10:06 PM

8. ARIS Recording Segment Before Pile Driving
6:10:06 PM

9. Sample Event #2: Pier 12 at Naval Station Norfolk
Pile Being Driven
Date: 9/19/16 (control & treatment), 9/26/2016 (control)
Depth: 16 m
Duration: 4 hours (2 hours before & 2 hours during/after)
Treatment: Impact pile driving (distance: 35 m)
Marine Life Observed: mostly large perciforms, fewer small perciforms and occasional eel or ray
6:10:06 PM

10. ARIS Recording Segment During Pile Driving
6:10:06 PM

11. Post-Processing (Spring-Summer 2018)
Double blind subsampling of randomized 5 second video segments during control and treatment periods (including __% of total duration)
Data recorded for each segment:
Starting Location on XY grid
Taxonomic identifier (e.g., perciform-ellipse, perciform-oval, anguilliform, ray/skate, decapod crab, horseshoe crab, jellyfish)
Group count (number moving together)
Size (average total length or width – whichever is greater)
Movement speed (meters/second)
Movement direction (compass degrees)
Discernible Behaviors (e.g., drifting, meandering, stationary, transiting, aggression, attraction, aversion, startle – cause unknown, foraging, slowing/stopping)
Note how time period of segments changed after some preliminary post-processing
6:10:06 PM

12. Planned Statistical Analysis (Fall 2018)
Research Question: Are there significant differences in the abundance and/or behavior of fish and invertebrates before vs. after commencement of impact pile driving during 4-5 hour periods?
Categories: small perciform ellipses ( mm), large perciform ellipses ( mm), and crabs (other groups too infrequent based on preliminary post-processing)
Difference between continuous variables (e.g., abundance, movement speed/direction): (1) ANOMV, (2) ANOVA, and (3) pairwise t-test
Difference between binary behavior variables: N-1 two proportional tests
For continuous variables (e.g., abundance, movement speed/direction): (1) smooth conditional mean and standard deviation of variables, (2) analysis of means for variance (ANOMV) with a Levene transformation testing for equality of variance between control and treatment periods, and (3) ANOVA followed by post-hoc pairwise t-test on box-cox transformed variables.
6:10:06 PM

13. Continuous Variable Qualities
Here are some of the data resulting from the preliminary post-processing. This will be redone with random 5 second segments.
6:10:06 PM

14. Continuous Variable Qualities
6:10:06 PM

15. Factors Confounding an Answer to the Research Question
Individual organisms moving into and out of the sonar beam such that comparisons (treatment vs. control) could be between the same or different individuals;
General taxonomic groups may include a mixture of species having different sensitivities to impulsive sound;
Natural pattern in fish activity from daybreak to noon may correlate with initiation of pile driving; and
Feature(s) attracting taxonomic entities to an area (e.g., refuge) could affect their response to impulsive sound.
+Environmental conditions during the control sampling period are often different than treatment period (especially for control periods >24 hours before or after treatment)
6:10:06 PM

16. QUESTIONS?
6:10:06 PM
Contact Information: