BdaBREAM SeaVentureWreck 2008-001

BREAM Programme Sea Venture Wreck
BBP: BZS Quick-look Survey
A PRELIMINARY ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF
THE INTACT WRECK “SEA VENTURE”
ON February 3rd 2008
Thaddeus J. T. Murdoch, Ph.D.

BREAM: Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Assessment and Mapping Programme
Bermuda Biodiversity Project, Bermuda Zoological Society
BBP Contribution: 2008 - 001
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Contents
Executive Summary and Recommendations………………………………………………………2
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Survey of Wreck Surface…………………………………………………………………………. 4
Survey of Mobile Organisms……………………………………………………………………..11
Survey of Neighbouring Reef…………………………………………………………………….14
Lionfish…………………………………………………………………………………...15
Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………….17
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………….18
References………………………………………………………………………………………...18
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Executive Summary
On February 3rd, 2008, a team of BREAM researchers did a quick-look survey of the newly-
sunk intention wreck “Sea Venture”, in preparation for the quantitative assessment of
recruitment and growth of sessile and mobile biota to the artificial reef. Virtually the entire outer
surface of the wreck has been covered by a thick growth of filamentous green algae. Sediment
has already settled onto the top and interior floors of the wreck to a depth of ~ 5 mm. Fish
abundance was very low, with 7 individuals of 6 species only being observed.
As the filamentous green algae is visually unappealing, the causes of its high density and
likely changes through time are discussed.
A survey of the neighbouring reef uncovered the presence of a lionfish, which may present a
danger to protected native fish in the area, which is a Protected Area.
Recommendations
• Filamentous green algae may decrease in density either with the change in season or as
herbivorous invertebrates and vertebrates move onto the wreck.
• If the algae, which divers may consider obnoxious, does not dissipate on its own, it may
be possible to either clear the wreck of algae manually, or introduce herbivorous
amphipods, snails and hermit crabs which could feed on the algae and reduce it naturally.
• Quantitative assessment of randomly positioned sample quadrats should be compared to

environmentally-matching sample points on the neighbouring reef, and include the
following parameters through time:
o Filamentous algae biomass
o Sessile and mobile invertebrate species identity and abundance
• Additionally, the fish assemblage should be assessed through time, and compared to that
of the neighbouring reef.
• The lionfish should be removed as soon as possible by qualified and licensed divers.
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Introduction
In 2006 the Bermuda Government gave the Bermuda Intact Wreck Initiative, a local NGO,
permission to clean and use the derelict ferry boat “ Sea Venture” as an intact wreck for scuba
divers to visit. The Sea Venture measures 75 ft long and has four levels. Volunteers of the
BIWI cleaned the vessel of toxic materials, removed its windows and cut access holes through
the hull. Subsequent to an inspection by the Department of Environmental Protection, the boat
was intentionally sank on October 9th, 2007. The wreck was placed at 50 ft depth in the sandy
channel within the boundary of the Marine Protected Area at the coordinates N 32°23.256,
W 64°53.094, which is roughly 350-m ESE of Eastern Blue Cut (Figure 1). Information about
the project can be found on the website: http://3264.bm/dive/index.html
Figure 1. Aerial image of the rim reef habitat around the Eastern Blue Cut protected area,
illustrating the location where the Sea Venture intact wreck was sank.
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Survey of Wreck Surface

On February 3rd, I and a team of 2 other divers (Dr. Alex Venn, BIOS; Ben Watson
LookBermuda) surveyed the wreck visually and with photographic and videographic equipment.
This first survey was to get a general impression of the condition and lay-out of the wreck, in
preparation for the long-term monitoring of benthic and pelagic animals, such as corals and fish,
that will probably recruit to the wreck.
On approaching the wreck, it was immediately apparent that the entire surface of the boat has
become covered in a thick layer of filamentous algae (Figures 2 to 5). Filamentous algae was
particularly thick on the stern of the wreck, which faces into the direction of the outgoing tide.
Clearing the outer surface of the wreck of algae indicated the presence of a large number of very
small encrusting polychaetes (Figures 6,7).
Sediment has already begun to accumulate on the top surface of the wreck (Figure 5), which
is fairly flat, as well as on the flat surfaces inside the enclosed spaces of the wreck. Water clarity
on the dive was low at 10-15 m, and fine sediment on the inner decks of the wreck were easily
stirred up by divers, reducing visibility to an even greater degree.
Filamentous algae is less dense in the shaded interior of the wreck, particularly on the
ceiling. Encrusting invertebrates including a few varieties of sponges and tunicates have already
begun to settle on the ceiling inside the wreck (Figure 8).
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Figure 2. A view down the port side of the wreck, looking sternward.
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Figure 3. A view of the upper two levels, located midway along the port side of the wreck
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Figure 4. Thick filamentous algae growing on the stair railing on the upper level at the stern of
the wreck. Railing diameter: 4 cm.
Figure 5. A view of the exhaust stacks, which are roughly 40-cm tall, at the top of the wreck,
facing the bow. Approximately 5 to 10 mm of sediment has already settled here, under
the carpet of algae growing on top of the wreck.
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Figure 6. A section of the port side of the wreck, in which all filamentous algae has been
scraped away by hand. Many small encrusting polychaetes can be seen attached to the
hull. Scale bar = 25 mm wide.
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Figure 7. A close-up of the same image as above, showing the high density of encrusting
polychaetes already attached to the painted hull. Scale bar = 25 mm wide.
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Figure 8. A view of the underside of the wreck from the stern. Note the white sponges and green
algae that have already settled on the underside of the hull.
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Survey of Mobile Organisms

There was a noticeable absence of fish on the wreck. In total only seven individual fish, of
six species, were observed after a 30 examination of the entire wreck, inside and out (Table 1).
Most notable was the presence of a single, very large black grouper (Figure 9) that was found on
the lower deck of the wreck and that would swim very close to divers. Also noteworthy was the
presence of a normally sediment-dwelling sand perch, which was found living on the flat top of
the wreck.
The stern of the wreck is raised off the seabed by roughly 50-cm, forming an artificial cave
about 8-m wide by 8-m deep. Three of the seven fish were found on the wreck were observed
within or near this artificial cave (e.g. a lane snapper; Figure 10). Also inhabiting the dark
underside of the wreck were two large spiny lobster (Panulirus argus; Figure 11), positioned at
the far back of the gap.
Table 1. A list of the species of fish observed on the wreck, and their abundance.
Common name Species Name Abundance (Counts)

Reef Butterfly Chaetodon sedentarius 2
Black Grouper Mycteroperca bonaci 1
Sand Perch Diplectrum formosum 1
Lane Snapper Lutjanus synagris 1
Sharp-nose Puffer Canthigaster rostrata 1
French Grunt Haemulon flavolineatum 1
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Figure 9. This large adult black grouper (~1.25 m length) was seen roaming the lower level of
the wreck, showing little concern for the presence of divers.
Figure 10. A lane snapper was observed living in the artificial cave created by the gap between
the stern and the sea floor. A sharp-nosed puffer and a French grunt were also seen in
this location, as were two spiny lobster.
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Figure 11. One of the two spiny lobster observed to be at the far back end of the gap between the
stern of the wreck and the sea floor.
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Survey of Neighbouring Reef

As the lack of herbivorous fish, such as parrotfish and tangs, on the wreck seemed unusual, I
also did a brief investigative swim over the neighbouring reef to the south to look for these
organisms. The filamentous algae that covered the wreck was not apparent on the top of the reef,
and schools of herbivorous fishes could be found within less than 10 minutes. Juvenile parrotfish
appeared to be common as well as the adults, indicating that recruitment of parrotfish is
occurring on the reef, but perhaps not on the wreck.
Examination of the sides of the reef at comparable depths to the wreck, however, did
determine the presence of filamentous algae and possibly lower abundance of parrotfish (Figure
13). These qualitative observations indicate that quantitative assessment of the differences in
grazing pressure and macroalgae biomass and composition are required across depth zones on
the reef if the reason for the thick growth of filamentous algae on the wreck is to be determined.
Figure 12. A mixed school of herbivores found on the reefs ~ 20-m south of the wreck. Notice
the lack of filamentous algae on the rocks between the corals on the top of the reef.
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Figure 14. The flanks of the reef located at similar depths as the wreck (>10-m depth) were also
covered in filamentous algae, as well as soft corals and leafy red macroalgae. Also
note the presence of a large school of juvenile grunts and creole wrasse, which were
found at the entrance of a cave on the side of the reef.
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Lionfish
Of particular concern is the presence of a single adult lionfish, which I observed in a cave on the
side of the reef, within 30-m of the wreck. The cave the lionfish was seen in was also populated
by a fairly large school of juvenile grunts and juvenile Creole wrasse, which the lionfish was
presumably feeding upon. An additional black grouper adult was seen within 15m of the same
cave, indicating there may be a risk to these predators as well as to the small prey fish located
near the lionfish.
Figure 13. The lionfish, which was found within a natural cave in the reef near the wreck, as well
as four juvenile grunts.
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Conclusions
The preliminary survey determined that the “Sea Venture” intentional wreck has been
overgrown with a thick carpet of filamentous algae. This dense accumulation of algae may be
considered undesirable, as it may be unappealing to divers and inhibits recruitment by hard and
soft corals (e.g. Birkeland 1977; Birrell et al. 2005; ).
The dense algal carpet may have occurred because grazing animals (such as amphipods,
snails, hermit crabs, sea urchins, surgeon fish and parrotfish), which normally eat the algae and
keep it’s biomass low are not grazing on the wreck. A present lack of these herbivorous animals
on the wreck may be due to several causes. The wreck was sank in early October, as the warm
summer season was ending. As a result, the larvae of herbivorous invertebrates and fishes may
not have had the opportunity to recruit to the wreck as of yet. Alternatively, it may be that the
large predatory grouper that was seen on the wreck has consumed any herbivorous fishes that
reached the wreck. A third possibility is that parrotfish are settling or visiting the wreck, either
as juveniles or adults but are spending more time on the neighbouring reef, which is within sight
of the wreck and therefore one can assume to be easily accessible by the fish. Quantitative
assessments of fish assemblage structure in the spring and summer would allow us to determine
which of these three processes are resulting in limited herbivory on the wreck
The wreck lies between the depths of 10 and 17 m below sea level. Parrotfish generally
prefer to graze on shallower depths on natural reefs (Bruggemann et al. 1996), and therefore may
not chose to graze on the wreck. A quantitative assessment of filamentous algae biomass in
randomly placed quadrats located on the wreck, and compared to matching quadrats on the
flanks and tops of neighbouring reefs would allow for the determination of whether the thick
algae seen on the wreck was unusual.
Ephemeral algae often bloom in the spring in Bermuda, and it may be that the algae will
naturally decline as water temperatures increase in the summer. Quantitative assessment of
filamentous algae biomass in winter compared to summer will allow us to determine whether the
thick bloom of macroalgae is a seasonal occurrence. Also, since a thick cover of filamentous
macroalgae limits the settlement and growth of hard and soft reef corals (Birkeland 1977)
assessment should include surveys for coral recruits. Coral recruits surveys will tell us whether
corals are settling on the wreck and if so, which species. Matching quadrats sampled across
depths on the neighbouring reef would allow us to determine whether there are any differences
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between the kinds of hard or soft corals that settle on the wreck versus on the natural substrate of
the reef..
Acknowledgements
As part of the Bermuda Biodiversity Project, the BREAM programme is supported by the Ernest
E. Stempel Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Jonklaas of the Kenridge Fund, the Bermuda
Government Department of Conservation Services. Thanks are due to Dr. Alex Venn (BIOS) and
Ben Watson (LookBermuda) for scientific and dive support.
References
Birkeland C (1977) The importance of rate of biomass accumulation in early successional stages
of benthic communities to the survival of coral recruits. Proc. 3rd Internat. Coral Reef
Symp., Miami 1: 331-336
Birrell CL, McCook LJ, Willis BL (2005) Effects of algal turfs and sediment on coral settlement.
Marine Pollution Bulletin 51:408-414.
Bruggemann JH, van Kessel AM, van Rooij JM, Breeman AM (1996) Bioerosion and sediment
ingestion by the Caribbean parrotfish Scarus vetula and Sparisoma veride: implications
of fish size, feeding mode and habitat use. Marine Ecology Progress Series 134:59-71.
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BREAM Programme Sea Venture Wreck

BBP: BZS Quick-look Survey

A PRELIMINARY ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF

THE INTACT WRECK “SEA VENTURE”

ON February 3rd 2008

Thaddeus J. T. Murdoch, Ph.D.

Bermuda Biodiversity Project, Bermuda Zoological Society

BBP Contribution: 2008 - 001

• Quantitative assessment of randomly positioned sample quadrats should be compared to

Survey of Wreck Surface

Survey of Mobile Organisms

Common name Species Name Abundance (Counts)

Survey of Neighbouring Reef

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