Eelgrass Transplant and Monitoring for Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC (now Marathon Petroleum Corporation); Anacortes, WA: 2015 – Present

MSA performed baseline habitat and macroalgae surveys, prepared an eelgrass mitigation and monitoring plan, conducted 7 years of SCUBA monitoring surveys, and transplanted endangered eelgrass (Z. marina) beds for the Tesoro Causeway/Wharf Routine Maintenance Project. The habitat survey, mitigation, and monitoring were required to compensate for potential impacts of spud anchor deployment to eelgrass within the project area. The mitigation and monitoring plan was reviewed and approved by WDFW. The SCUBA habitat and monitoring surveys were conducted on 5.7 acres of subtidal land located immediately east of the Tesoro Causeway at March’s Point in Anacortes, Skagit County, Washington. The survey area was a 100′ envelope along the eastern side Tesoro Causeway. During the survey, two MSA divers swam along each transect line to record data and observe habitat in a 5’ swath of bottom on either side of the transect line. The survey protocol followed WDFW Eelgrass/Macroalgae Habitat Survey Guidelines (2008).