The Finfish Aquaculture Monitoring Program (FAMP)
is designed to meet the requirements of Maine's Water Quality Standards 38
M.R.S.A., Article 4-A, Water Classification Program, Waste Discharge
Law 38 M.R.S.A. §413 (2-F) and the Salmon Aquaculture Monitoring Law 12
M.R.S.A. §6078 (4). It also provides data for reviewing current
environmental requirements and possible future modifications. Due to
the continually evolving science of environmental monitoring, the following
sets a general framework to be considered by the FAMP.
1. Annual Semi-quantitative Diver
Survey
Objective:
The diver survey is intended to provide an
overall assessment of environmental conditions under and adjacent to finfish
operations and to determine if additional monitoring, compliance, or
enforcement actions are needed beyond the standard program described below.
Stations:
The survey shall document bottom conditions
along a transect extending from 60 meters upcurrent of the system, pass
through the system shadow, and 60 meters downcurrent of the system.
Continuous video footage is required of the transect.
Frequency:
A diver survey shall be conducted at least
annually during the period of greatest potential impact. Although this
varies from operation to operation, for finfish aquaculture this generally
occurs between September and November.
Methods:
The diver survey shall document sediment
type, erosional or depositional areas, any farm equipment, litter or gear
and presence of bacterial mat’s. Relative abundance of macroflora
and macrofauna shall be individually characterized as abundant, common or
rare. Abundant is defined as always within the diver's view. Common is
defined as seen occasionally throughout the dive and may be patchy. Rare is
where an organism or single patch is seen less than 3 times along the
transect. Speed of travel across the bottom is critical to image quality and
proper interpretation of video footage. It is recommended the filming swim
rate not exceed 0.3m/sec or 60 meters every 3 to 4 minutes. Where speed is
excessive, images are blurred, particularly in frame-by-frame analysis,
often making identification of individual organisms and specific impact
assessment impossible. An occasional pan-view is recommended and
artificial lighting throughout a dive is frequently mandatory as it
significantly improves image quality (Heinig, 1994)(Heinig, 1996).
2.
Benthic Monitoring - Infauna
Objective:
Benthic infauna monitoring is used to
determine attainment of Maine's marine and estuarine life (infauna) and
habitat suitability according to 38 M.R.S.A., Article 4-A, Water
Classification Program narrative standards.
Stations:
Because each net pen operation has its own
unique configuration it is not possible to prescribe one sample design that
addresses each situation. Infauna cores shall be taken at sample locations
as listed in the approved DMR FAMP sampling plan during the season of
maximum feeding within the proposed lease area along the axis of primary
current.
Frequency:
Benthic monitoring will be required for each
pen operation during the period of peak feed. This generally coincides
with harvest at the end of the growing season when two age classes are in
the water such as September to November. The frequency shall be at the
discretion of the MDMR based on the results of past benthic surveys, the
annual diver survey, and farm husbandry.
Methods:
Infauna samples shall be sieved through a
sieve no larger than 1.0 mm and organisms identified to the family taxonomic
level. Individual benthic infauna cores collected by a diver shall have an
area of at least 81 cm2 (a four inch diameter PVC pipe will suffice). Cores
may be collected from a grab or box type corer having an area of at least
0.1 m2 (1000 cm2) when diver safety is of concern. Cores must be inserted to
resistance or 15 cm, whichever is less. Depth of the core shall
be reported. (Tetra Tech, 1987)
3.
Dissolved Oxygen
Objective:
The objective of monitoring dissolved oxygen
is to determine attainment of Maine's marine dissolved oxygen standards (M.R.S.A. 38, Article 4-A, section 465-B).
Stations:
Three stations per system or contiguous
system array shall be established. One station shall be 100 meters
(300 feet) upcurrent of the operation. A second station shall be 100
meters (300 feet) downcurrent of the operation and the third station shall
be within 5 meters (15 feet) downcurrent from the pens. All
downcurrent stations shall be located to represent water that has passed
through the greatest number of pens.
Frequency:
Ten (10) equally-spaced samples or a profile
over the entire vertical depth of each station shall be collected once
during "worst case" conditions, when feeding rates and water
temperatures are highest. This overlap generally occurs between August and
October. At any site where for two consecutive years the minimum dissolved
oxygen percent saturation is m90% the sampling may be dropped for 2 years
unless production changes.
Methods:
Dissolved oxygen shall be measured using one
of the following methods: 1. "Winkler Titration" (Azide
modification) method of Standard Methods (APHA, AWWA, WPCF most current
edition) or 2. electro-membrane method of Standard Methods (APHA, AWWA,
WPCF most current edition) or 3. as described in Owens and Millard
1985 and Fofonoff and Millard 1983, Unesco No. 44, see references.
If an electro-membrane method is used
triplicate Winklers will be taken at the start and end of each session or
day. Replicate readings or profiles per station shall be taken and reported
to verify that the meter is reading consistently. Furthermore, at the
beginning and end of each sample season, calibration curves comparing probe
to Winkler readings shall be constructed for each instrument used.
These curves shall be submitted with all data. (Heinig, 1996, Task III)
Salinity shall be measured according to
Standard Methods 2520-B (PSS 1978) or Fofonoff and Millard 1983, Unesco No.
44. Temperature shall be measured according to Standard Methods 2550-B
or Fofonoff and Millard 1983, Unesco No. 44, see references.
Methods References
APHA/AWWA/WPCF. 1992. Standard
methods for examination of water and wastewater. 18th Ed. American Public Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth Street NW,
Washington, D.C. 20005. 1268 pp.
Fofonoff,
N.P. and R. C. Millard Jr. 1983. Algorithms for computation of
fundamental properties of seawater. Unesco technical papers in marine
science., No. 44, 53 pp.
Heinig, C.S., MER Assessment Corp. 1994. Preliminary Report on the Maine Department
of Marine Resources' Aquaculture Monitoring Program. In Churchill, L.U.,
C.S. Heinig and J.W. Sowles. 1994. Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR)
Aquaculture Program Summary Report. MDMR, West Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
Heinig, C.S., MER Assessment Corp. 1996. Maine Department of Marine
Resource’s (MDMR) Finfish Aquaculture Monitoring Program (FAMP)
1992-1995, Report to the Committee on Marine Resources, 2nd Session
117th Maine State Legislature. MDMR, Augusta, Maine.
Heinig, C.S., MER Assessment Corp. 1996. Maine Department of Marine Resources
1996-1997 Finfish Aquaculture Monitoring Program, Task III. Annual Fall 1996
Water Quality Survey. Report to the Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR).
MDMR, West Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04575.
Tetra
Tech, Inc. 1987. Recommended Protocols For Sampling and
Analyzing Subtidal Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Puget Sound.
Puget Sound Estuary Program. U.S. EPA Region X, Seattle WA.
4.
Reporting
If the Maine Department of Marine Resources
Finfish Aquaculture Monitoring Program (FAMP) is not in effect, the
following shall apply:
By December 15 of each year the leaseholder will be required to submit the
following to:
