DEPLOYMENT OF REEF BALLS
Client:
PT Newmont Minahasa Raya
Project: Habitat
Enhancement Program – Buyat Bay and Adjacent Areas
Date: July 1999
Prepared
by: Dave Lennon,
SINCLAIR
KNIGHT MERZ
369
Ann St
BRISBANE Q 4000
Australia
Ph: +61
7-3244-7308
Fx: +61 7
3244-7307
Email: dlennon@skm.com.au
Introduction
The following is a brief report outlining a recommended
strategy for the construction, deployment and monitoring of Reef Balls
(specifically Pallet Balls and Bay Balls), in the Buyat Bay and surrounding
area. This strategy is designed to
provide maximum success, safety and benefits from the habitat enhancement
program. However, it is important to
note that there will need to be a degree of flexibility in the program, and a
regular review of all activities should be conducted to allow ‘fine tuning’ of
the program throughout its progress, and as data becomes available. For example, it is not possible to predict
exactly the growth and species composition that will be attracted in each area,
therefore as observations are made they can be used to guide future deployment
configurations.
Additionally, there must be a regular review for quality
control purposes to ensure the modules are being made to Reef Ball
specifications. This is absolutely
essential and a condition of all purchasers and users of the moulds. Quality control is important for many
reasons, and includes safety of personnel involved as well as the environment.
A habitat enhancement program such as this incorporates a
philosophy of respect for the marine environment and efforts to work with it as
well as understand it. It is not to
be promoted as a means to continue unsustainable exploitation of the sea by
methods such as explosives, cyanide or overfishing. This can not be emphasised enough, and every effort should be
made to prevent (or at least discourage) unsustainable fishing, and fishing in
general on the Reef Ball reefs should be discouraged for 6-12 months.
Topics
covered include:
-
Construction issues: materials, concrete
mix, methodology, supervision, spare parts;
-
Deployment: potential objectives,
selection of sites, future deployments, configurations, methods of deployment,
and additional sites; and
-
Monitoring: suggested monitoring
objectives and timing.
-
Appendices – checklist and responsible
reef creation
Construction of Modules
There are three key aspects to construction – materials,
methodology and supervision.
Materials
Materials used must comply with the specifications
listed in the Reef Ball manual and most importantly, must not contain any of
the materials listed as being not allowed.
The
following are NOT ALLOWED in the
concrete mix:
q
Fly
ash;
q
Sand
that may be contaminated, contain salt or organic matter (ie river sand or
beach sand that has not been screened and washed);
q
Accelerators,
except for Calcium Chloride;
q
Silicone
sprays - they may damage the balls and prevent colonisation by
fouling organisms;
q
Admixtures
that contain toxins or biologically active elements (including iron and
nitrogen/phosphates – check with manufacturer);
q
Rebar,
except for fiberglass rebar;
q
Form
oil or release agents/waxes on the inside of the moulds, or
anywhere else that may cause them to come into contact with the concrete (sugar
water is okay to use); and
q
Any
other products that contain plastics or petroleum
products (Phil - make sure you get your toys out!).
Remember, your aim is to promote better respect for the
ocean and create balanced reef ecosystems, therefore Reef Balls must be as
environmentally friendly as possible.
Several of the required materials or admixtures are made by
different manufacturers and consequently are sold under a variety of brand
names. The main ones are:
Silica Fume – this may be referred to as silica flour, Micropoz (Australia), microsilica, or WR Grace’s Force 10,000. The brand currently being used from Aust/NZ (?) should be fine. Stick to a reputable brandname and supplier.
Super
Plasticiser and Air entrainment mix – several brands available and the following
brought from Australia are ok.
- ‘Brickies Own Concentrated Mortar Plasticiser’ (Clear), by
MELCANN
- ‘Clear Bycol’ – clear air entraining admixture for smooth
working of concrete, by AJAX chemicals.
NOTE: Due to the fact that Newmont has regular shipments
from the US, it may be worth ordering admixtures and even silica from the Reef
Ball recommended supplier WR Grace – see manual for contact details and ask if
they can ship concentrated formula that you simply add water to. This would save on weight and shipping
costs.
Concrete Mix
1 cement, 1 sand, 1 gravel Plus silica and admixtures.
Bay Ball = 3-5 kg of silica
Pallet Ball = 8-10 kg of silica
Admixtures – as per manufacturers instructions.
The
crucial points to remember are:
-
Add at least half the required water
first and then the silica. This allows
it to mix well before the cement etc is added.
The silica will only work if it is mixed thoroughly with the cement!
-
Allow the concrete to mix for 10mins
before pouring for the same reason as above (concrete testing labs in Australia
run the mixer for 30mins before testing silica mixes).
-
Too much water weakens the mix, but too
little can cause voids to form, especially in the Pallet Ball. Technically the mix should have a 20cm
slump, however it is easy to develop a visual gauge of the correct mix, and
Harapan and Jumadi are now proficient at gauging by eye. Basically the mix should ‘slide’ down itself
in the mixer rather than ‘pour’ or ‘tumble’ in lumps.
The photo below is roughly how the mix should look. It doesn’t show it too well, but the mix
should not be runnier than this.
Methodology
The following describes the main points to remember and new
techniques not covered during training due to short time frame. The checklists cover a step-by-step account
of methodology. There isn’t anything
too complicated about it, but attention to the small things pays off. There is tremendous benefit from following a
set ‘system’. Time is saved, mistakes
eliminated (or at least reduced!), and the modules are produced within
specs.
Harapan is very proficient, as you know, and has a good
understanding of the methodology. He
should maintain a supervisory role until he thinks Jumadi (or someone else) is
capable of taking over. Harapan should
then continue to check the operation regularly to ensure they continue to
follow the system. However, no system
is perfect and if they find a way to do the job easier and faster, but still
maintain required specs for mix, curing and handling, then let them go for it.
Two checklists have been produced in English and Indonesian
and posted in the container. The most
useful is probably the one concerning starting and shutdown steps and are
included in Appendix A. At the end of
pouring and cleaning equipment, it is important they remember to check supplies
of sand, cement, silica, admixtures etc, and refill the admixture and sugar
water bottles. Doing so not only sets
up the site for immediate start the next morning, but also prevents them from
finding out the next day that they have run out of something that takes two
days to arrive. It will encourage them
to keep an eye on supplies and to order in plenty of time.
Table
1 is an initial Reef Ball construction and deployment
calendar that will help plan the program to tie in with barge arrivals and
monitoring etc.
Key Points/Issues
q
Keep oils away from any areas that may
cause them to come into contact with the concrete.
q
Make sure they are getting the gravel
exposed and removing all the surface layer in order to ensure the pH is as low
as it can be.
q
Keep reminding the crew to go easy on
the plastic screw valves, they are already starting to strip the screw
slot. They must get the concrete out of
the slot before attempting to unscrew it.
You have several spares and more can be ordered easily enough.
q
Keep the work area, moulds, balls and
container clean. Important to clean the
moulds after each use otherwise the concrete will build up quickly forming a
thick layer impossible to remove. This
makes it difficult for the mould to go together which adds stresses that may
break the moulds, and makes repairs hard.
q
Keep modules damp under wrap for 3
days.
q
Keep track somehow the date each module
was made.
q
Don’t make pointed ridges in the
lobster holes as this can be a weak area that could crack on impact. Make them with rounded tops.
q
Don’t put too much sand in bottom so
that there is a crack or gap from the base into bottom holes. This is a weak area and breakage could occur
on impact.
q
With Pallet Balls it is a good idea to
add enough cement to build up the ridge around the top. This creates better strength for resistance
to anchor strikes.
Variation of Modules
q
Vary the number of holes, ie balls
added. This is done for strength and
also variety. For stronger modules put
less balls, especially in the upper area of the Bay Balls. For example if anchor damage becomes a
problem, make thicker walls by putting less air in the bladder and less balls
in the upper area. Also, variety is
important for marine life, and some fish love caves, so less balls creates a
good cave effect. This will give you a
more diverse reef.
q
Use leftover concrete to throw on
modules, outside and inside. The crew
has done this, but lately we’ve let them use it to build a platform by the
sea. This creates even more lumps and
bumps. Caution: if you are going to do
a floating deployment, don’t use a module with the concrete on the inside as it
may puncture the bladder (assuming you use the bladder for floatation). Also remember that this concrete won’t be as
old as the module, so put it on modules from the day before so it is almost the
same as age as module.
Supervision
I don’t need to emphasise the importance of good
supervision. Harapan is more than
capable but will obviously need to go back to attending to his normal
workload. Jumadi is the natural next
best person to supervise, but Harapan still needs to check regularly, ie every
day for another week, then several times a week, or as needed (knowing Harapan,
he will make surprise visits no problem).
If they follow the checklists, everything will go a lot better.
The
key areas to check for are:
q
Top wall thickness of modules (BB = min
50mm, PB = min 150mm) – thicker if anchor damage becomes a problem. Remember thicker is not a problem, but
thinner is;
q
Correct mix ratios and quantity of
silica added;
q
Sufficient mixing time, they could be
tempted to skimp on this;
q
Good exposure of gravel, ie removal of
uncured surface cement;
q
Correct curing technique and curing
time;
q
Quality of materials;
q
Safety gear, especially safety glasses
and decent boots. I understand this is
the responsibility of the contractor, but Harapan will need to chase them up on
this; and
q
All tools still remaining and hung on
board.
Spares
The manual provides a list of few spares and repair kits
required. The fibreglass panels are
very durable but may wear thin after awhile.
They can be easily patched or reinforced with standard fibreglass cloth
and gel resin.
The balls will last a year or more and you have a spare of
the bladders plus ample spare tether and A0 balls. Because they are standard boat buoys, most marine supply houses
will have them. The tether balls will
have to come from Reef Balls in the US, but they always give you ample extras,
so I don’t see them being an issue for awhile, unless of course they disappear.
The pins won’t break and I don’t think they will go walk
about. The main spares required will be
items such as spray bottles, hammers, and perhaps the plastic screw valve plugs
for the bladders and A0 buoys (you already have quite a few spare plugs).
Hard to find spares – we had trouble locating a few things
so I’ve left you with the ones that I brought.
They were: air nozzle adapter and hose for scuba regulator – ore testing
lab has air nozzles that can be adapted, or Petrosea truck mechanics also use a
suitable nozzle. If you have trouble
let me know and I can send from Australia.
Scale – simple hand held fishing scale for weighing silica – not unique
and should be able to be replaced in Manado.
NOTE: I recommend that you remove the regulator and octopus
from the reg used for inflating the bladders.
They are getting beaten up and don’t need to be attached. Make sure the plugs are put back in the
first stage.
Safe Keeping
I think it is best if spares are kept with Harapan. This will keep better control of them and if they need them, it is easy for them to request them. Before storing, make a quick inventory of what you have.
Table
1:
REEF BALL
CONSTRUCTION AND DEPLOYMENT CALENDAR
DATE |
BB made |
PB made |
*BB ready |
*PB ready |
Deploy/Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24-7 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
25-7 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
|
26-7 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
|
27-7 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
|
28-7 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
|
29-7 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
|
30-7 |
2 |
1 |
3 deployed |
- |
Detailed site
surveys/buoy sites/deploy Bay Ball markers |
|
31-7 |
2 |
1 |
|
- |
Barge arrives? |
|
AUGUST |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1-8 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
DAVE LEAVES/set up
barge |
|
2-8 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
3-8 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
|
|
4-8 |
1 |
1 |
7, six deployed |
4, 3 deployed |
Deploy 1 PB at each
site, plus two Bay Balls |
|
5-8 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
6-8 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
|
|
7-8 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
|
|
8-8 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
|
|
9-8 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
5 |
|
|
10-8 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
6 |
|
|
11-8 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
7 |
|
|
12-8 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
8 |
|
|
13-8 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
9 |
|
|
14-8 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
10 |
|
|
15-8 |
1 |
1 |
15 |
11 |
|
|
16-8 |
1 |
1 |
16 |
12 |
|
|
17-8 |
1 |
1 |
17 |
13 |
|
|
18-8 |
1 |
1 |
18 |
14 |
|
|
19-8 |
1 |
1 |
19 |
15 |
|
|
20-8 |
1 |
1 |
20 |
16 |
|
|
21-8 |
1 |
1 |
21 deployed |
17 |
Deploy seven Bay
Balls at each site |
|
22-8 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
18 |
|
|
23-8 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
19 |
|
|
24-8 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
20 |
|
|
25-8 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
21 |
|
|
26-8 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
22 |
|
|
27-8 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
23 |
|
|
28-8 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
24 |
|
|
29-8 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
25 |
|
|
30-8 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
26 |
|
|
31-8 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
27 |
|
|
SEPT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1-9 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
28 |
Barge arrives? |
|
2-9 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
29 |
|
|
Etc |
1 |
1 |
13 |
30 |
Deploy 10 Pallet
Balls at each site, plus Bay Balls available modules |
|
Etc |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Etc |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*NOTE: the
modules should be strong enough to deploy after seven days, however, the
concrete will NOT be ideal for hard corals, and soft corals will tend to
colonise for the first few years. The modules should ‘age’ for 3-4 wks or longer
to reduce the pH more which will benefit hard corals better. It is worth the wait, as once the modules
are in, they will not be replaced. So
it is better to wait and ensure you are deploying the most beneficial
modules.
The calendar
assumes modules will be made 7 days per week, at least initially to help kick
start the program.
Deployment
All
programs, (especially community programs) require realistic objectives and
goals. Otherwise unreasonable expectations may be created and the programs final
outcomes may not meet original objectives/promises, resulting in the community
or PTNMR becoming disappointed.
I
am concerned this could happen with this program, as it appears as though the
Buyat Bay villagers are expecting the Reef Balls to solve, what they perceive
as being less fish in Buyat Bay now than there was before PTNMR commenced
operations.
Very
basically, marine life present in an area is present because of the type and
level of three main factors as shown below.
Which
ones can PTNMR be accused of changing?
The
facts are:
1.
From the extensive monitoring undertaken by PT Newmont, the
only real change I can see in Buyat Bay is change to the physical and chemical
characteristics of the substrate where the tailings are dispersing to. PT Newmont must therefore be careful about
promoting that the Reef Balls will replace lost habitat, or will provide a
habitat that will function the same as the habitat covered by tailings. The Reef Balls will provide a very different
habitat but it will be reef type habitat that can be colonised.
2.
From PT Newmont surveys of catches and discussion with Jerry
K, target species of the villagers are mainly pelagic fish such as mackerel,
trevally, and scads. These are highly
mobile species and not closely linked to coral reefs, and no doubt pass through
and enter Buyat Bay on an opportunistic/cyclic basis. Deploying Reef Balls is not going to provide a habitat that will
appeal to these fish directly, however they may help create eddies that trap
plankton that the smaller planktivore scads will feed on. The Reef Balls will attract and provide
shelter and food for a lot of fish, but it must be remembered that they may not
all be fish that the villagers consider worth catching (eg. see photos of
concrete blocks over pipeline).
3.
It is highly likely that if there has been a decline in
pelagics being caught in Buyat Bay, it is due to overfishing within the Bay and
other areas that the pelagics travel.
Review of water quality data does not suggest there is a water quality
problem that could be held accountable.
4.
The project is young in the scheme of things. It is not wise or ethical to promote marine
life to an area that could result in bioaccumulation of toxicants.
Potential Objectives
The
following are what I feel are realistic potential objectives for the program in
your area.
1.
Habitat enhancement to add back shelter and structure to
reefs suffering bleaching and bomb or cyanide damage, especially branching
corals that when dead quickly break down.
2.
Increase productivity of ‘simple’ habitats, ie flat
sandy/mud areas or low relief rocky areas including deepwater sites
(50m+). NOTE: do not get the impression
that sandy/muddy areas are unproductive, they all have their role in nature, so
do not aim to cover every square meter of such habitat with modules.
3.
General increase in species numbers and diversity.
4.
Potential to help support recolonisation of the natural
predators to the Crown of Thorns starfish currently infesting many of the
monitoring sites.
5.
Development of small Reef Ball manufacturing industry for
other areas in Indonesia.
Selection of Sites
Considerable thought has gone into this, as well as a review
of available impact assessment and monitoring reports. I feel I have a fair understanding of the
area, especially after conducting site surveys which is the best way to gain an
understanding of the existing water quality and ecosystem health. However, this is still only a basic
understanding of the area. It is
important the sites are monitored to gain a better understanding of how the
Reef Balls are functioning in order to direct future deployments.
I decided three, possibly four sites would be a good starting point for this program. The rationale being that it is better to have more Reef Balls at fewer sites, rather than too many sites with too few Reef Balls. By focusing on three sites, it will be possible to get decent size reefs up and running at each site, which will provide useful feedback for selection of additional sites as well as practice of deployment techniques.
Preference was given to sites where permanent PTNMR transects are located, as this will provide useful baseline data for comparison even though the transects are generally shallower than the Reef Ball reefs.
A site survey was conducted on 29 July, 1999. Sites investigated included:
q
Buyat Bay (eastern side);
q
Sikod Bay (western side);
q
PTNMR permanent transect sites 1 and 2;
and
q
Sediment trap #12 (the ‘straits’).
Target depth was 10-20m, and upon finding appropriate depth,
the site was buoyed. Divers then
checked the bottom for suitability. At
each site deemed suitable, a Bay Ball was deployed and buoy (white plastic
jerrycan) left in place to help guide future deployments. Comments on each of the sites investigated are
provided below.
BUYAT BAY
Only the SE headland was able to be assessed due to poor visibility resulting from recent rains. Target area was the slope adjacent to the existing coral transects (Buyat). A buoy was dropped at 22m (73’). This depth and area has a steep slope, coarse shell grit sand overlayed by 10-30mm of fines. It was not certain whether these fines are tailings or river sediments, or both. Jerry K felt they were most likely of river origin.
Noticeable fauna included sea whips, sea pens and spiral
coral. All of these are associated with
sandy bottoms, steep reef slopes and occasional strong currents. Judging by the coarse shell grit sand and
fauna, it would seem the area experiences strong currents. Therefore it is interesting that there is a
thin layer of fines overlaying the sand.
Either currents occasionally remove this layer, or there has been a
change to sediment input to the bay.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the logging activities that are now
ceased did cause a lot of sediment runoff, and the fines may be a legacy of
this.
Moving up the slope, well established hard corals and
sponges are found on isolated rocky outcrops at 20m, and these have a very thin
(1-3mm) layer of fines on them. It
would be worth collecting these fines for analysis to determine their origin,
and Jerry K has recommended this to David Sompie.
Conclusion
The site is suitable for future deployment of Reef Balls,
however not shallower than 20m due to the corals and steep slope. Figure
1 helps demonstrate this point, however Reef Balls may be placed is a
suitable clear area is found and they can be placed/lowered accurately.
However, Buyat Bay has several disadvantages, namely, river
input, high turbidity, and tailings.
Figure 1: Buyat
Bay – preferred location of deployment is in depths more than 20m due to corals
and steep slope.
Bay Ball
A Bay Ball was deployed to help mark the site.
Location: 93090
N 689968 E
Depth: 27m
(90’)
Bay Ball: ‘Two
lumps’ (unique markings aid
identification
in photos).
Future Deployment in Buyat Bay
Location: future deployments should always be to the west of the buoy and can either follow the 25-30 depth range, or transverse the slope perpendicular to the shoreline.
Quantity:
groups of 10-30 (put PBs in deeper
areas), total to equal 50-60.
Configuration: spaced 2-5m apart as per figure.
Note the following:
Make sure no rocky outcrops are present prior to each
drop. Keep the modules within
monitoring depths for first three months, and check growth for bioaccumulation
of toxicants prior to deeper deployment.
25 and 20m contours
Figure 2: SE
Buyat Bay – recommended deployment configuration.
SIKOD BAY
The western area presents an excellent opportunity for
enhancement. The bay is edged by
mangroves in the northern intertidal area, and corals to about 10m. The bottom quickly becomes flat compact sand
with some silty fraction. The bay also
has no river inputs to reduce water clarity/quality or salinity. Additionally the mangroves offer a nursery
area for many commercial species that may inhabit the Reef Balls.
Conclusion
Excellent site and suitable for Reef Balls.
Bay Ball
A Bay Ball was deployed to help mark the site.
Location:
91960 N 687962 E (plot of this GPS reading appears
too far east)
Depth: 11m
(36’)
Bay Ball: ‘One
line’ (unique markings aid
identification
in photos).
Future Deployment in Sikod Bay
Location: future deployments should always be to the east of the buoy – check for seagrass meadows, if present, do not place modules within 50m. Seagrass meadows are highly productive habitats and spacial extent can vary significantly throughout the year.
Quantity:
groups of 10-20, total to equal 50-100.
Configuration: spaced 2-5m apart as per figure.
Figure 3: Sikod
Bay – recommended deployment configuration.
SITE 1
This is PTNMR’s permanent coral transect ‘Site 1’. There are generally no clear patches between
the corals and it has a very steep slope.
Further investigations at 30m may be beneficial. There was one clear sandy area at 4m just
east of the transect that would be suitable for 2-3 Bay Balls and perhaps one
Pallet Ball. Placement would be tricky
though and there is nowhere for the deployment vessel to anchor without
damaging coral.
Conclusion
Site not suitable.
SITE 2
Also a PTNMR permanent transect (Site 2), and has less clear patches than Site 1. Large colonies of branching corals (eg Acropora) were dead. Cause not known by Jerry, perhaps Crown of Thorns and/or cyanide. Slope is perhaps even steeper than Site 1. This site has shown reduced fish counts and it would have been good to trial Reef Balls in the area to see if fish numbers could be brought back up. However there are no clear areas for placement. Depths greater than 30m may prove ok.
Conclusion
Site not suitable.
SEDIMENT
TRAP #12 (ST12)
This site is located adjacent to a PTNMR sediment trap
(ST12) in a strait between Dakakayu Is and Ratatotok Peninsula. Bottom substrate is level compact course
sand with isolated rocky/coral outcrops to 2m in height. The sand layer is probably not thick and
just overlays the submerged rock platform connecting the peninsula and
island. Depth was 8m (26’) and fairly
uniform all the way across the strait.
A noticeable current was running through the strait in a NW direction
and is tidally generated, therefore would run in the opposite direction during
ebb tides.
The area had a good variety of fish species inhabiting the
rocky outcrops, and several schools of pelagics including two barracudas were
sighted. Due to the current, the area
is very ‘alive’ and receiving a good supply of nutrients and plankton. I’m positive a lot of pelagics pass through
this area.
A small white jerrycan buoy plus a Bay Ball mark the site.
Conclusion
Excellent site with great potential due to depth (within photic zone), firm substrate, flat, and currents. Should become a very productive area and great dive site to sit and watch pelagics.
Bay
Ball
A Bay Ball was deployed to help mark the site.
Location:
94945 N 693237 E
Depth: 8m
(26’)
Bay Ball: ‘Four
Lumps’ (unique markings aid
identification
in photos).
Future Deployment at ST12
Location: future deployments should be to the east of the buoy and can go across the strait, and up or down the strait if there are sufficient clear patches.
Quantity:
lines of 10-20, total to equal
80-100.
Configuration: lines with Pallet Balls at outer edge to
create a ‘wall’ effect to take advantage of the current and subsequent eddies
that can be produced, especially towards centre of strait where currents will
be strongest. See figure.
Figure 4: ST12
– ‘Straits’ – recommended deployment configuration.
Additional Sites
The three initial sites are certainly not the limit to areas
that may be enhanced or ‘repaired’ with Reef Balls. For example I highly recommend placing Pallet Balls in water
depths of 50-100 along the SE side of Ratatotok. The best thing to do, is keep me posted of progress and I will
help advise on new areas.
Deployment Methodology
Options
are numerous and the inventiveness of the locals and PTNMR staff will have no
trouble figuring out the best technique to suit the site and equipment
available. Naturally remember safety at
all times and zero damage to existing corals.
Use
the provided configurations as a guide.
There is no point in giving exact distances between each module because
in reality you will have variations due to barge moving etc. Also, as humans we tend to want to create
aesethetically pleasing geometric shapes/forms, whereas nature does not work
this way.
Bay Balls
Dropping
from Nimera II works well but limited to four Bay Balls. Due to the angle of the module when it hits
the water, it tends to flip upside down unless a boat fender or similar size
buoy is attached. It is especially
important to drop them right side up at ST12 due to the relatively hard bottom.
NOTE:
it is not permissiable however to deploy modules and leave the buoy
attached. This is adding plastic and
unnatural materials to the ocean and not permitted by the Reef Ball Development
Group, and does not fit the spirit of this program. If you allow one plastic item, others will see no reason to not
add more.
The
easiest method is to buoy the target area first as this provides a useful
visual reference. Bay Balls can easily
be moved by divers underwater. Either
tip onto side and roll with one diver either side (but don’t roll over corals
or other benthic organisms!), or pickup and walk backwards or sideways with
it. The buoy or boat fender used for
dropping helps reduce the weight, and a small lift bag (30-50 kg, ie 30-50 L)
significantly helps. Experienced divers
only should move the modules and DO NOT INFLATE BCD TO LIFT ANY OBJECT
UNDERWATER.
Safety
The
following are not to be considered the limits to safety precautions that should
be taken.
q
Careful when accelerating in the Nimera II, as the Bay Balls
may slide to the back of the boat. Anyone standing to the rear of them could be injured.
q
Never drop Bay Balls when divers are on the bottom. Make sure all divers are on the surface and
accounted for before dropping.
q
Do deeper sites first, then the shallower ones, ie follow
standard good diving practices.
Pallet Balls
Several
options have been discussed and considered, including floating, rafting and
dropping. I believe the best way will
be dropping by crane from the supply barges arriving once a month. The added advantage of this is that it
ensures the Pallet Balls are aged for at least 3-4 weeks. The alternatives are all possible, however
are limited, mainly to the number that can be deployed for the effort spent.
Barge Deployments
Advantages:
large number of modules, ease of loading and dropping.
Disadvantages:
limited maneuverability, timing once per month
The
best method is probably using the Petrosea truck crane – loading the modules on
the truck and then driving the truck on to the barge. I strongly recommend practicing in Sikod Bay where there is
space, calm waters and a depth that allows divers to easily check the modules.
There
will need to be two means of dropping the modues. The most immediate method required for the
current sites is the innovative release mechanism developed by the Reef Ball
Development Group. This will work well
and the crane will allow final positioning of placement. A second method will be needed for dropping
in deeper areas. Petrosea sound as
though they have a hydraulic ram that can pull the pin on the modules, and this
will work provided the modules are dropped from below the waterline.
If
within diving depth range, two divers can quite easily flip a Pallet Ball back
upright, but be careful no one is on the falling side. A buoy can be added to the top of the
modules, as with the Bay Balls to help keep them upright during descent.
NOTE:
it is not permissiable to deploy modules and leave the buoy
attached. This is adding plastic and
unnatural materials to the ocean and not permitted by the Reef Ball Development
Group, and does not fit the spirit of this program. If you allow one plastic item, others will see no reason to not
add more, and you have diminished the value of the program.
Barge
deployments may require the barge to anchor, however this should be avoided if
possible as this could cause extensive damage to corals. Sikod Bay could probably tolerate anchoring
due to the sandy-mud bottom. Buyat Bay
would allow anchoring below 40m and the barge could then reverse into shallower
water.
Barge
deployments will require a good coordinator and the crane operator should only
receive signals from one designated individual, otherwise the operation becomes
a nightmare.
After Deployment
What
happens after deployment is as important, if not more important as what happens
before and during. Hopefully PTNMR will
take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to not only create local
employment, improve fish stocks and dive sites, but to also promote a new
awareness of our role and impact upon
the environment. This may sound like
typical greenie campaigning, but it makes logical sense. I realise that the locals literally depend
upon fish to feed their families and survive, however, if they farm the sea
smartly and have a better understanding of how it works, it will serve them
better and for longer.
We’ve
gone beyond the saying of ‘teach them to fish and they will eat for a year’. Yes they might, but if you don’t teach them
how to manage their fishing they definitely will only eat for a year.
The
responsible reef creation and utilisation philosophy is given in Appendix B, and I encourage
you to use it in your newsletters and pass it on to the community. The Reef Balls will attract fish, but there
is a real danger of overfishing the stock drawn to the modules. Give the modules time to establish.
Ideally
the Reef Ball sites should be opened and closed to fishing on a rotating
basis. Open one reef and close the
other. Hard to do here but it would be
a fantastic showcase model for other areas and a very valuable lasting gift
from PT Newmont Minahasa Raya.
Monitoring
The following is a guide only and you may find it useful to use a survey/monitoring classification system I developed. It significantly helps increase the ease with which people can discuss and appreciate the type of surveys/monitoring that is taking place and where. I developed it because I found myself getting frustrated with circular discussions because everyone had different ideas of what the term ‘survey’ or ‘monitoring’ meant.
Basically there are three types of surveys/monitoring, Type 1, 2 and 3.
TYPE 1
Basic survey where species are identified and/or site described, but number of individuals or measurements are not counted or taken. For example the site surveys would be classified as Type 1 surveys.
TYPE 2
Distinguishing feature, is that number of individuals are counted or measurements are taken. This includes counting of individuals from photographs or videotape. However, no permanent transects are established.
TYPE 3
Distinguishing feature is that permanent transects are established. This is the only type that has permanent transects, eg. the PTNMR coral transects.
This classification system is very useful for labelling maps. It makes it very easy to label sites and for people to quickly understand the level of monitoring taking place at each site.
What is the
Question?
The first step in establishing any monitoring is knowing what the question is. This can be as simple as ‘what is the succession of fish species on the reefs in each site?’.
‘What is the succession of fouling communities on the modules?’ ‘How does the fouling communities on the inside compare to the outside?’
Some suggested studies are:
q Study of fouling communities and variation between sites, depth etc;
q Correlation between fouling community and fish species;
q Fish species over time, especially biomass estimates;
q Commercial species present, numbers, biomass;
q Survey of local fishermen and catch – before and after;
q Fish interaction with the modules – feeding, shelter, passing; and
q Contaminant uptake by fouling organisms or fish.
Students
The reefs will provide an excellent opportunity for university research thesis, and I believe Jerry and David are already discussing this with Manado University.
Water Quality
The modules make ideal structures to house logging sensors such as temperature sensors. These are cheap (<$200) and can be attached to the inside of a module, out of site and protected. They could be used to help determine if the coral bleaching is due to increased water temperatures.
Timing
I recommend that fish surveys commence almost immediately and take place every month for the first three months, and then every 3-4 months for the rest of the year.
The following is a sample monitoring schedule. If conducting fish surveys, it would be preferable to conduct them in the same week that the ongoing PTNMR monitoring is taking place. This will increase the data and ability to compare sites.
Demo only – dates do
not have to be these.
|
DATE |
LOCATION |
TYPE 1 |
TYPE 2 |
TYPE 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30-7-99 |
Potential
sites |
Substrate + fish |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30-8-99 |
Buyat,
Sikod, ST12 |
- |
Fish + fouling communities |
? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30-9-99 |
Buyat,
Sikod, ST12 |
- |
Fish + fouling communities |
? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30-10-99 |
Buyat,
Sikod, ST12 |
- |
Fish + fouling communities |
? |
|
??-1-00 |
Buyat,
Sikod, ST12 |
- |
Fish + fouling communities |
? |
|
Every
3-4 months |
|
|
|
|
PTNMR Environmental staff are more than capable at designing monitoring programs so I leave it up to you guys. Don’t hesitate to contact me though if you have questions.
Appendix A - checklist