Marine biological survey of ROI-NAMUR outfall at the United States Army Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, May 2000 (NODC Accession 0000653)

Roi-Namur is located at the northernmost tip of Kwajalein Atoll, approximately 64 kilometers north of the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) central command post on Kwajalein Islet. Roi-Namur has a single sewage outfall, which is located at the northwestern corner of the islet. Originally, the outfall extended from shore to a point about halfway across the reef flat where the pipe ended abruptly as an upturned, uncapped elbow. Raw sewage was pumped through the pipe in pulses approximately every 15-20 minutes. Waves and shallow currents across the reef flat carried at least some of the effluent back toward shore and the lagoon, creating a potentially unhealthy situation. In order to correct this problem, USAKA implemented a plan to extend the original outfall all the way across the reef flat and into the open ocean where the predominant current flow would carry effluent-mixed waters away from the islet. Ultimately, the extended outfall was to be connected to a new sewage treatment facility that would discharge primarily treated effluent. Because of a concern that this discharge might adversely impact the coral-reef community surrounding the end of the new outfall, a baseline marine biological survey was to be conducted prior to start-up of the new sewage treatment facility. As planned, the results of this survey would provide a baseline against which the results of future surveys could be compared in order to determine whether a balanced community of indigenous species had been maintained at the site during operation of the facility. If not, conversion to secondary treatment at the facility would need to be considered. The first resurvey was planned to occur one year after start-up of the new sewage treatment facility with subsequent resurveys planned for every five years thereafter. In August 1997, biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducted the baseline marine biological survey in the vicinity of the Roi-Namur outfall. In May 2000, biologists from these agencies returned to Roi-Namur to re-characterize the coral-reef habitat and biological organisms at five survey sites in the vicinity of the outfall, previously established during the 1997 baseline marine biological survey. The purpose of the second survey was to collect data to determine whether a balanced community of indigenous species had been maintained at this location after the sewage treatment facility became operational. If not, conversion to secondary treatment at the facility would need to be considered. For the National Oceanographic Data Center, interest in the report focuses on the marine element. Data tables from marine surveys of reef fishes, corals, other macroinvertebrates, and algae that exist in those habitats are provided.罗伊-纳穆尔岛（Roi-Namur）位于夸贾林环礁（Kwajalein Atoll）的最北端，距离夸贾林岛（Kwajalein Islet）上的美国陆军夸贾林环礁（U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, USAKA）核心指挥所约64公里。该岛设有一处单一的排污口（sewage outfall），位于岛屿西北角。最初，排污管道从岸边延伸至礁坪（reef flat）中点位置，管道末端为向上弯折且未加装盖帽的弯头。未经处理的污水以约每15-20分钟一次的脉冲形式通过管道泵送，海浪与礁坪上的浅海流会将至少部分排放物冲回岸边与泻湖（lagoon），构成潜在健康风险。为解决这一问题，美国陆军夸贾林环礁（USAKA）实施了扩建计划，将原排污管道全程延伸穿过礁坪，直达开阔海域——该区域的主流洋流可将混有排放物的水体带离该岛。扩建后的排污管道最终将与一座新污水处理设施相连，该设施主要排放经处理的出水。由于担忧该排放可能对新排污口周边的珊瑚礁群落造成不利影响，计划在新污水处理设施启动前开展基线海洋生物调查。按规划，本次调查的结果将作为基准，用于对比后续调查结果，以判断该设施运行期间，该区域的本地物种平衡群落是否得以维持；若未维持，则需考虑将该设施升级为二级处理（secondary treatment）工艺。首次复调计划于新污水处理设施启动一年后开展，后续每五年进行一次复调。1997年8月，美国鱼类及野生动物管理局（U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS）与国家海洋渔业局（National Marine Fisheries Service, NMFS）的生物学家在罗伊-纳穆尔岛排污口附近开展了基线海洋生物调查。2000年5月，上述机构的生物学家再次返回罗伊-纳穆尔岛，对1997年基线海洋生物调查中划定的排污口附近5处调查点的珊瑚礁生境与生物群落进行重新表征。本次复调的目的是收集数据，以判断污水处理设施投入运行后，该区域的本地物种平衡群落是否得以维持；若未维持，则需考虑将该设施升级为二级处理（secondary treatment）工艺。对于美国国家海洋资料中心（National Oceanographic Data Center）而言，本报告的关注重点为海洋相关要素，报告提供了对应生境中礁栖鱼类、珊瑚、其他大型无脊椎动物（macroinvertebrates）以及藻类的海洋调查数据表。