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STANDARD FORM 330 (REV. 312013) PAGE 2 Coral Reef Restoration and Coral Relocation – Nearshore Hardbottom Habitat and Offshore Reef Tract Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Coral Reef Restoration CONSTRUCTION (If Applicable) N/A (3) BRIEF DESCRIPTION (Brief Scope, size, cost, etc.) AND SPECIFIC ROLE Check if project performed with current firm Project Manager/Coral Reef Ecologist/Senior Marine Scientist. Mr. Fitzgerald served as chief scientist and project manager while conducting coral relocation activities for the USCG Miami Main Channel Aids to Navigation (ATON) Entrance Range Replacement Project. A preconstruction survey was conducted (May through June 2014) to identify marine resources that may be impacted during construction related activities and to identify and delineate resources for avoidance and potential relocation. The project followed guidelines established in the Benthic Resource Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Plan which was approved by Federal (NMFS and USACE) and State (FDEP) agencies under permit No.: SAJ-2011-01261 (NW-ALS). As a requirement of the permit no impacts to submerged or emergent resources will be authorized. Therefore, all corals within the primary construction zone footprint that meet the size thresholds (≥ 5 cm for hard corals and ≥ 10 cm for octocorals) as indicated in the permit were relocated to a designated coral recipient site. Reconnaissance surveys were conducted at 15 sites offshore Virginia Key and Biscayne Bay to locate a recipient site with habitat conducive for optimal coral growth and success. A coral relocation plan was prepared and submitted to FDEP, FWC, Miami- Dade DERM, and USACE. A special activity license was obtained from FWC which provided State and Federal authorization to collect, transport and relocate specific corals identified during the preconstruction survey as required by the environmental permit. Resources targeted during the relocation included stony corals and octocorals. Stony corals included Acropora cervicornis, Montastraea cavernosa, Orbicella annularis, O. faveolata, Diploria labyrinthiformis, Pseudodiploria clivosa, and P. strigosa, Siderastrea siderea, Dichocoenia stokesii and Meandrina meandrites. Coral relocation activities were completed on 7 October 2014. All corals were evaluated using detailed health assessment guidelines prior to and following relocation. Nearly 1000 corals were rescued and reattached during the relocation project. The reattached corals were photographed and mapped to provide a reference for future monitoring. Size: 47 acres of hardbottom and reef habitat Cost: $120,000 c. (1) TITLE AND LOCATION (City and State) Habitat Characterization and GIS Mapping Palm Beach County, Florida (2) YEAR COMPLETED 2016 - 2017 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Benthic Assessment and Resource GIS Mapping CONSTRUCTION (If Applicable) N/A (3) BRIEF DESCRIPTION (Brief Scope, size, cost, etc.) AND SPECIFIC ROLE Check if project performed with current firm Project Manager/Coral Reef Ecologist/Senior Marine Scientist. Mr. Fitzgerald characterized and mapped seagrass and hard bottom habitat located in Lake Worth Lagoon. This assessment survey was conducted in support of a pre-dredging permit for the Florida Inland Navigational District. The survey area included the ICWW and Palm Beach Channel located south of Peanut Island and extending 4.8 miles south through Lake Worth Lagoon in Palm Beach County, Florida. The objective of the benthic assessment and resource survey was to delineate and map benthic habitats throughout the entire survey area including seagrass and hardbottom habitats, to identify and quantify resources occurring in these habitats, and to collect stony coral size data. The survey was approached in two phases in accordance with recommendations by the NMFS (2002) recovery plan for Johnson’s Seagrass. During Phase I, Mr. Fitzgerald conducted a thorough visual assessment of the survey area providing comprehensive coverage of the proposed project area to accurately delineate existing seagrass and hardbottom habitat boundaries. Phase II involved detailed qualitative and quantitative sampling of marine resources occurring in areas previously identified as seagrass and hardbottom habitat. The benthic assessment survey identified benthic habitats and associated marine resources in vicinity of the proposed project which could be impacted by dredging and dredging related activities. Surveys were conducted from 13 June through 8 July 2016 with additional field surveys conducted from 1 through 13 September 2016 specifically to further document the presence of stony corals in delineated hardbottom habitat. Florida Unified Mitigation Assessment Methodology (UMAM) Forms Part 1 (Qualitative Description) and Part 2 (Quantitative Description) were completed for each habitat type delineated during the assessment survey. Size: 33 acres of seagrass and hardbottom habitat Cost: $97,000 d. (1) TITLE AND LOCATION (City and State) (2) YEAR COMPLETED 2018 99