Review of Sea Turtle Entrainment Risk by Trailing Suction Hopper Dredges in the US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and the Development of the Aster Decision Support Tool

Publication Title: Review of Sea Turtle Entrainment Risk by Trailing Suction Hopper Dredges in the US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and the Development of the Aster Decision Support Tool

Subject: Anthropogenic Properties
Sea Turtles
Sea Turtles; Dredging; Entrainment; Risk; ASTER; Decision Support Tool; Mitigations; Outer Continental Shelf; State Waters; Federal Waters

CSE Reference: Ramirez A, Kot CY, Piatkowski D (Quantum Spatial, Inc., St. Petersburg, FL; Duke University, Beaufort, NC; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Sterling, VA). 2017. Review of sea turtle entrainment risk by trailing suction hopper dredges in the US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and the Development of the ASTER decision support tool. Sterling (VA): US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 7 p. Obligation No.: M15PG00019. Report No.: OCS Study BOEM 2017-084. URL: https://espis.boem.gov/Technical%20Summaries/5645.pdf

Abstract: The ASTER DST is a standardized geographically and temporally based decision support tool for use by practitioners in the US Atlantic and Gulf regions to assess project-specific dredging entrainment risk for sea turtles within a common framework. ASTER DST users can define biological and environmental parameters for candidate dredging areas, including suitable benthic habitat, bottom type, bathymetry, and sea turtle presence/density. The final output of the ASTER DST includes a report informing the user of the relative risk of sites within the selected area of interest, thus providing resource managers a documented process of the mitigation factors considered for site specific projects. The ASTER DST will be used to guide future mitigation planning decisions within marine mineral resource areas, so that better informed decisions may minimize impacts to sea turtle species. In addition, the ASTER DST would help resource managers understand the best way to decrease dredging costs through reduced downtime associated with entrainment incidents and potentially allow more flexibility of environmental windows in areas perceived to have less risk.