Models of Suitable Habitat for Corals for a Better Planning of Offshore Activities in Newfoundland

编写环境影响报告书最具挑战性的方面之一是确定珊瑚等水生生物的分布和丰度，因为关于其出现情况的调查数据有限。特别是，了解特定地理 ** 区域的具体环境条件-可能被批准用于自然资源开采-如何可能或可能不支持珊瑚和其他 ** 海洋生物群。Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions在渔业 ** 和加拿大海洋局（DFO）调查的指导下进行环境影响报告书（EIS），并提供可能在客户拟议的石油和天然气项目区域内发现的珊瑚和其他水生 ** 物种的类型和密度估计。为了提出适当的管理建议，并提出适当的缓解行动，伍德需要更好地了解纽芬兰近海珊瑚的生态和分布。因此，本提案旨在 ** 制定珊瑚适宜生境的独特概率模型。所产生的新知识将包括 ** 预测的高珊瑚密度地区和确定 ** 决定珊瑚适宜生境的最重要环境变量。这一新的信息将纳入伍德的环境影响报告书，这将 ** 允许更有效地确定近海活动的目标，以避免与珊瑚的相互作用。根据伍德的建议，我们将选择三个珊瑚物种，估计物种分布 ** 模型：浅水，深海专家和一个物种具有广泛的深度范围。在木材专业人员的技术帮助下，我们将以适合 ** 建模的格式从DFO获得发生数据。利用诸如深度、海床坡度、潮流速度、温度、** 波高和底质类型等环境数据，这些分布模型将能够预测最适合维持它们的栖息地的位置。这项工作将填补知识空白，导致有时不适当的管理建议，因此伍德将受益于研究成果，以及自然资源部门和负责批准自然资源开采的政府监管机构。

One of the most challenging aspects of undertaking environmental impact statements (EIS) is determining the**distribution and abundance of aquatic organisms such as corals, for which there is limited survey data on their**occurrence. In particular, understanding how the specific environmental conditions of a particular geographical**area - potentially being approved for natural resource extraction - may or may not support corals and other**marine biota. Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions conducts EIS guided by surveys from Fisheries**and Oceans Canada (DFO) and provides an estimation of the type and density of corals and other aquatic**species likely to be found within its client's proposed oil and gas project area. In order to make appropriate**management recommendations and to suggest suitable mitigation actions, Wood requires a better**understanding of the ecology and distribution of corals offshore Newfoundland. Therefore, this proposal aims**to develop unique probability models of suitable habitats for corals. The new knowledge generated will include**predicted areas of high coral density and the identification of the most important environmental variables that**determine coral suitable habitat. This new information will be incorporated within Wood's EIS which will**permit the targeting of offshore activities more efficiently to avoid interactions with corals.**Following recommendations from Wood we will select three coral species for which species distribution**models will be estimated: a shallow water, a deep-sea specialist, and a species with a wide depth range. With**the technical help of Wood professionals, we will obtain occurrence data from DFO in a format suitable for**modelling. Using environmental data such as depth, slope of the seabed, velocity of tidal currents, temperature,**wave height, and substrate type, these distribution models will be able to predict the location of the most**suitable habitats to sustain them. This work will fill a knowledge gap that results in sometimes-inappropriate**management recommendations, therefore Wood will benefit from the research outcomes, as well as the natural**resource sector, and government regulatory agencies responsible for approving natural resource extraction.