GWF-2/Rankin Bank Monitoring Programme 2017, Western Australia (WEL)

Towed Video transects + Digital StillsCTDBRUVSSediment Samples The intent of this work is to conduct an environmental monitoring program and deliver a written report on the condition and status of the biological communities of Rankin Bank and its surrounds before and after Woodside's Greater Western Flank-2 (GWF-2) development activities, located on the Northwest Shelf. The monitoring program will also provide an opportunity to conduct field assessment of biological and physical receptors before, during and after key planned activities and some of the identified management measures, particularly, those relating to drill cuttings and muds disposal. The existing environmental description includes the completion of a comprehensive baseline dataset for the nearest environmental sensitivity to the development, a submerged shoal system, Rankin Bank. Woodside supported AIMS to complete environmental surveys of Rankin Bank in 2013 and the surrounding habitat in 2014. The survey findings indicated that Rankin Bank is a complex submerged shoal system comprising diverse hard substrate habitats and benthic communities composed of hard corals, filter feeders (sponges and octocorals) and macro-algae with diverse and abundant site-attached fish assemblages.

拖曳视频断面采样（Towed Video Transects）、静态数码摄影（Digital Stills）、温盐深剖面测量（CTD, Conductivity Temperature Depth）、诱饵式远程水下视频采样（BRUV, Baited Remote Underwater Video）及沉积物采样（Sediment Samples）。本项目旨在开展环境监测计划，并针对位于西北陆架的伍德赛德（Woodside）大西翼2号（Greater Western Flank-2, GWF-2）开发活动前后，兰金滩（Rankin Bank）及其周边海域的生物群落状况与存续状态撰写专项报告。本次监测计划还将为在关键规划活动及部分已确定的管理措施（尤其是与钻屑和泥浆处置相关的措施）实施前、实施期间及实施后，开展生物与物理受体的现场评估提供契机。现有环境概况已针对本开发项目紧邻的环境敏感区——水下沙洲系统兰金滩，完成了一套完整的基线数据集构建工作。伍德赛德资助澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（Australian Institute of Marine Science, AIMS）于2013年完成兰金滩的环境勘测，并于2014年完成周边生境的环境勘测。勘测结果显示，兰金滩是一座复杂的水下沙洲系统，拥有多样的硬质底质生境，以及由硬珊瑚、滤食性生物（海绵与八放珊瑚）和大型藻类构成的底栖群落，同时伴生有种类丰富、数量繁多的定居性鱼类集群。