Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project

Sean McNulty, M.Sc., Manager, Environment, Infrastructure SustainabilityVancouver Fraser Port Authority

James Rourke, M.Sc., RPBio, Senior BiologistHemmera

May 27, 2019

Coastal birds – western sandpiper and biofilm EIS Sections 11.0 and 15.0

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• Summary of assessment conclusions, mitigation, and follow-up

• Assessment work

• Western sandpiper (WESA)

• Biofilm

• Freshwater and tidal exchange

• Biofilm quantity, quality, and WESA

• Conclusions

Overview – Coastal birds: western sandpiper (WESA)

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

With mitigation, the project is predicted to result in negligible adverse residual effects to western sandpiper (WESA)

• WESA are abundant and adapted to the variable environment at Roberts Bank

• Estuarine biofilm consumed by WESA is abundant, ubiquitous, and resilient

• High quality biofilm is present under freshwater and marine conditions at Roberts Bank

• There is, and will be, a surplus of food (including biofilm) for WESA and other shorebirds with the project in place

• Follow-up monitoring under an adaptive management approach will verify effects predictions

Assessment conclusions, mitigation, and follow-up

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Assessment work

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• 20 studies conducted spanning six years

Robust, expert-led science underpins the assessment

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Existing Condition Studies (2012 - 2013)

• Biofilm: Annual Abundance and Variability, Physical Factors, Community Composition, Hyperspectral Mapping, Shear Stress, Regeneration

• Shorebirds: Migration distribution and abundance, Migratory Connectivity, WESA Genetics, WESA Diet, Overwintering Distribution and Abundance, Dunlin Genetics, Dunlin Regional Distribution, Agriculture Usage, Shorebird Foraging Opportunity

• Invertebrate: abundance, distribution and composition

Additional Studies (2016 - 2018)

• Biofilm Dynamics during Northward Migration (2016)

• WESA Selective Feeding of Biofilm Communities (2016)

• Biofilm Dynamics during Northward Migration (2017)

• Biofilm Dynamics during Northward Migration (2018)

Assessment work – study program breadth and depth

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Western sandpiper (WESA) at Roberts Bank

WESA is an abundant migratory shorebird

• One of the most abundant shorebird species in North America (3.5M)

• The Fraser River Estuary is one of several important migratory stopover sites

• Roberts Bank supports ~600,000 individuals during a typical northward migration

• ~17% of population utilize Roberts Bank annually during northward migration

6Drever et al. 2014, Andres et al. 2012

17%

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Shorebirds at Roberts Bank

Hemmera 2014 7

(Northward migration: 2012, 2013, 2014)

Distribution and abundance

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Biofilm Invertebrates

Western sandpiper (WESA) at Roberts Bank

Kuwae et al. 2008, 2012, Jardine et al. 2012 8

WESA has a flexible diet comprised of biofilm and invertebrates, both of which are abundant

• Biofilm - 37-68% daily energy requirements at Roberts Bank

• Invertebrates - 32-63% of energy requirements

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Biofilm at Roberts Bank

EIS Figure 11-3 Adapted from Decho et al. 2000

Nutrient-rich, estuarine biofilm is abundant and ubiquitous at Roberts Bank and present throughout the Fraser River Estuary

• Biofilm is an assemblage of micro-organisms primarily comprised of diatoms

Surface Layer Biofilm

Key Diatom Taxa

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Biofilm at Roberts Bank

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Biofilm and WESA are adapted to highly variable daily, seasonal, and inter-annual conditions

CEAR#1215, 1385 | EIS Section 6.5, 9.7

Fraser River discharge: inter-annual variation

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Biofilm at Roberts Bank

Biofilm at Roberts Bank is adapted to extremely variable conditions including daily desiccation, inundation, and large fluctuations in salinity associated with tidal cycles

EIS Section 6.5, 9.7

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Biofilm at Roberts Bank

Biofilm Dynamics Study Area (2016-2018)

EIS Section 6.5, 9.7

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Biofilm at Roberts Bank

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Abundant biofilm of similar taxonomic and fatty acid composition occurs across the salinity gradient at Roberts Bank

CEAR#934, 1215, 1385

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Biofilm quantity, quality, and WESA

14CEAR# 1385 (adapted from Figure 4-1)

(H, I) (Y, A, C)

Strata

(X, J)

- salinity +

High quality biofilm exists across the salinity gradient at Roberts Bank

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WESA forage on estuarine biofilm and invertebrates across the salinity gradient at Roberts Bank

Biofilm at Roberts Bank

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Figure 4-1 Shorebird Abundance and Foraging Use in the Fraser River Estuary during Migration Technical Data Report

Biofilm distributionWESA foraging distribution

Hemmera 2014 (WESA) | EIS Section 11, Figure 11-7 (Biofilm)

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• Video link:

• https://youtu.be/phpi0gKk3fw

Freshwater and tidal exchange at Roberts Bank

16Adapted from EIS Appendix 9.5-A

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There is, and will be, a surplus of food (including biofilm) for WESA and other shorebirds with the project in place

Daily Northward Migration Survey Results

Capacity of Biofilm for WESA w/Project

Biofilm quantity, quality, and WESA

17CWS; EIS Appendix 15-B [Shorebird Foraging Opportunity Model]

Vancouver Fraser Port Authority

With mitigation, the project is predicted to result in negligible adverse residual effects to western sandpiper

• Western sandpiper are abundant and adapted to the variable environment at Roberts Bank

• Estuarine biofilm consumed by western sandpiper is abundant, ubiquitous, and resilient

• High quality biofilm is present under freshwater and marine conditions at Roberts Bank

• There is, and will be, a surplus of food (including biofilm) for western sandpiper and other shorebirds with the project in place

Conclusions

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A follow-up monitoring under an adaptive management approach will verify effects predictions

• Verify predictions of salinity levels in the intertidal water column (Appendix C15, Updated Project Commitments)

• Verify effects on the capacity of the local assessment area to support WESA prey (Appendix C14, Updated Project Commitments)

• Abundance/density of biofilm (fatty acids, carbohydrates, chlorophyll a)

• Abundance/density of invertebrates (fatty acids, carbohydrates)

Conclusions

19CEAR# 1683

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Thank you