GMI participated in the baseline assessment of hardbottom habitat located on either side of the Miami Harbor entrance channel. Hard corals, octocorals, zoanthids, and sponges were identified, and their colonies counted and measured along 120 belt transects (1 meter wide, 10 and 20 meter long). The condition of these benthic organisms was also noted. Additional information captured during the assessment included the presence of macroalgae, cyanobacteria, the type of habitat and substrate. These data will be compared with data collected during and after the dredging of the entrance channel to assess short- and long-term changes.

GMI scientists have conducted multiple biological assessments in various locations of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.

Projects have included:

• Integrated National Resources Management Plan
• SAV mitigation, damage assessments, and restoration efforts
• Endangered species surveys (marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds)
• Critical habitat assessments
• Coral reef ecosystem biodiversity assessments
• Essential Fish Habitat assessments
• Mangrove community assessments

Working in collaboration with USDOI/Minerals Management Service and USDOC/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, GMI coral reef scientists participated in a multidisciplinary project to assess the condition of and rehabilitate the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. State-of-the-art coral reef science techniques were applied to conduct fieldwork which included extensive underwater photography; direct observation of corals, benthic organisms, and fish; water quality; and sub-meter accuracy geographical position system data acquisition. In addition, the GMI scientific divers participated in the rehabilitation of the long-term monitoring sites at the East and West Flower Garden Banks. Underwater construction techniques were used to install monitoring stations; tasks included underwater fieldwork, field data management, and reporting. The work includes assessing water quality (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, PAR, and nutrients) and the analyses are being examined to determine the environmental context within the Flower Garden Banks ecosystem. Technical reports and multiple peer-reviewed papers are being prepared based on the findings of this continuing project.

GMI scientists conducted a coral reef assessment at GTMO in 2007 to evaluate the natural and human-induced change since 2003. The condition of the coral reefs was assessed by comparing hard coral percent cover and composition; reef topographic complexity; abundance of echinoids and juvenile corals; incidences of coral maladies; abundance, diversity, and length of reef fishes; the abundance of herbivores on reefs; and water quality. GMI produced a coral reef assessment report and presented a poster at the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium.

GMI provided technical support in conjunction with a 10-day NOAA remote sensing of underwater munitions and non-munitions debris in a bay adjacent to a former live bombing area (Bahia Salinas Del Sur, Vieques). GMI conducted an independent SCUBA survey of munitions present within the bay and recorded the geographical location (DGPS), the type of munitions, the level of reef encrustation, sedimentation, and accessibility to the munitions. GMI conducted underwater video transects of the reef substrate and ground-truthed select points of the remote sensing data that NOAA had collected within the bay. GMI prepared a summary report showing comparative analysis of past and present data, DGPS coordinates, munitions types and conditions, GIS maps, photographs, and data overlays with the NOAA remotely-sensed data to evaluate the remote sensing detection capacity.

GMI scientific divers conducted a combination of visual, trap, and net surveys to evaluate the abundance and size of selected bony fish in up to 10 sites of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where data on fish populations were collected during the 1960s and in 2001. We assessed the status of the sessile benthic communities on hard substrates within Pearl Harbor where fish populations are surveyed and the fish and sessile benthic communities (with an emphasis on corals) within the Pearl Harbor Entrance Channel and particularly in the vicinity of a recently installed outfall pipe. We also assessed coral communities near the Entrance Channel. The primary survey methods were boat-based fishing techniques and open circuit compressed air SCUBA for direct underwater observations and data collection. All dives and data collection sites were recorded using GPS. We performed a rigorous analysis of the data obtained and results include relevant and available peer-reviewed publications and reports on fish populations and sessile benthic communities of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Pearl Harbor Entrance Channel.

GMI scientific divers conducted a site investigation and biological characterization of the Ex-USS Killen. The Ex-USS Killen and barge were assumed to be separate vessels. Emerging physical evidence at the barge site (including an ammo lift/elevator, a drive shaft, and physical dimensions) suggest that the “barge” was the aft section of the stern of Fletcher Class destroyers. This project assessed the identity of the “barge” wreck and found that the Ex-USS Killen and the barge was a single split-up vessel formerly used as a floating target. Additionally, we assessed the health of corals and reef fish on and around the vessel. We performed underwater scientific survey work and mapped the wreck, photographed benthic biota, and conducted fish counts. The biological assessment of the wreckage and a control site showed no evidence of contamination affecting coral reef biota (benthos and fishes) or the surrounding seagrass beds.

GMI prepared a Damage Assessment Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (DARP/EA) for mangrove and seagrass communities damaged during a 110,000-gallon Jet Propellant-5 (JP-5) fuel spill at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Cieba, Puerto Rico on 19 October 1999. The DARP/EA, prepared in accordance with multiple regulations (Council of Environmental Quality regulations, National Environmental Policy Act, U.S. Navy Environmental and Natural Resources Program Manual), was based on the final Injury Report summarizing three years of wetland monitoring. The content of the DARP/EA included a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis on all alternatives based on information from the 25-26 October 2001 Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) meeting. A web-based document was also developed to maintain a record of all correspondence and documents produced for this task order.