Marine Benthic Community Sampling and Analysis

INTRODUCTION: Disposal at sea is the disposal of a substance at sea from a ship, an aircraft, a platform or another structure. Disposal at sea is permitted by Canadian law under Part 7, Division 3 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). These permits allow Canada to meet international obligations to prevent marine pollution by regulating the disposal of wastes and other matter in accordance with the London Convention and subsequent London Protocol. Acceptable substances are listed in Schedule 5 of CEPA 1999. In British Columbia, the permitted substances consist primarily of dredged material from river or marine sources or inert, inorganic geological material from land based excavation. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Disposal at Sea (DAS) Program regularly conducts disposal site monitoring to help ensure permit conditions are met and that assumptions made during the application review were appropriate to protect human health and the environment. Monitoring studies include sediment sampling for physical and chemical parameters, benthic community surveys, multi-beam and backscatter acoustic surveys, and seafloor video surveys. ECCC’s DAS Program conducts benthic community surveys to evaluate the ecological significance of the benthic community effects observed at the disposal site in comparison with broader reference areas and ambient conditions using benthic community structure data. OBJECTIVE: ECCC’s DAS Program requires a contractor to provide marine benthic community sampling and analysis services.  WORK: ECCC’s DAS Program will lead the monitoring survey and participate in the collection of benthic samples using ECCC’s Smith-MacIntyre (0.1 m2) grab sampler, including sieving the benthic samples for taxonomic analysis. Equipment used to support benthic sample collection, sieving and storing, as well as taxonomic services, statistical analyses and reporting of the benthic community survey will be provided by the Contractor. The benthic sample collection will be carried out aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Vector with mobilization and demobilization at The Institute of Ocean Sciences located in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada or mutually agreed alternate location. Monitoring surveys are up to seven (7) days in duration including mobilization and demobilization. The stations are between 150 and 500 metres below the surface. While at sea, work periods are typically twelve (12) hours (consecutive) in duration.  The time on-board the ship will be a maximum of three (3) days in each applicable identified period. The identified periods are: Initial Contract Period, Option Period 1, Option Period 2, Option Period 3, and Option Period 4 as defined in Annex B, Basis of Payment. Note: The field survey dates have not yet been scheduled. Monitoring survey periods are in the summer and fall, with marine benthic community sample collection expected to take place between June and July. Dates are not negotiable however, Environment and Climate Change Canada intends to provide notice up to three-months in advance. At a minimum, the Contractor must supply the items / services listed below.

Prior to the monitoring survey: A draft benthic survey plan at least eight (8) weeks prior to mobilization; A final survey plan at least six (6) weeks prior to mobilization that addresses and/or incorporates ECCC’s comments;

During the monitoring survey: One qualified field personnel on a twelve (12) hour basis aboard the CCGS Vector for no more than three (3) days to set up benthos sieving stations on the ship and to provide training to ECCC field staff regarding collecting, sieving and handling benthic sample, including labelling and storing of benthic samples;  Sufficient sample collection totes to store marine benthic samples following collection with a Smith-MacIntyre (0.1 m2) sampler for a 12-hour shift; Sufficient 1-mm mesh / screening equipment for use on the CCG Vector, including seawater pump with an intake and outflow hose, to sieve the marine benthic samples for a seven (7)-day duration; Sufficient sample jars, preservation and labels for storing sieved marine invertebrate organisms, including picking tools, for a seven (7)-day duration;

Following the monitoring survey: A field survey report identifying field personnel and summarizing field conditions, equipment specifications, as well as any relevant field notes pertaining to the marine benthic sample collection within one (1) month of the completion of the monitoring survey. Qualified taxonomists to sort, identify and enumerate organisms from the marine benthic samples by size/age categories (juvenile, intermediate and adult) into major taxonomic groups, including genus-species (lowest practicable level) identification and biomass estimate determinations; An excel spreadsheet of taxonomic identification and enumeration, including biomass estimate determinations; A draft technical report summarizing study objectives, methods (field processing, laboratory processing, taxonomic analysis, statistics analyses), results, interpretation and conclusion within five (5) months of the completion of the monitoring survey. A final technical report by no later than February 15, 2021.

ECCC and/or the CCGS Vector will provide

A detailed description of the disposal sites; Shared accommodation (one cabin with two bunks) for the Contractor’s personnel; All meals while Contractor’s field personnel are aboard the CCGS Vector; Comments on the draft survey plan within one (1) week of receipt; and Comments on the draft report within two (2) weeks of receipt.At least one (1) meeting will be required prior to the survey date to address logistics (may be conducted via teleconference or video conference). At least one (1) meeting following the survey will be required to address data and reporting requirements related to the deliverables (may be conducted via teleconference or video conference).