1.1 Monitoring of the relocated seagrass bed (Halophila beccarii) for survival and growth at Pak Nai was required to be conducted quarterly during the construction phase of the Project as specified in Section 6.2.3 of the EM&A Manual.
1.2 Equipment used for monitoring included a 50x50cm ecological survey quadrat, measuring ruler, digital camera and handheld GPS.
1.3 Monitoring was conducted at the 4 locations (A, B, C and D) on the intertidal flats at Pak Nai as shown in Figure 1.1.
1.4 Sediment plugs on the intertidal flats at Pak Nai were relocated using visual markers that had been placed at each location at the time of transplantation, and using GPS. Care was taken not to disturb each site by avoiding trampling.
1.5 At each location (dimensions of 1.5 x 1.5m), monitoring was conducted by our ecologist to measure presence/absence of seagrasses and seagrass cover. Monitoring also included observations on seed germination, leaf size and general condition of any seagrass present.
1.6 The first quarterly survey to monitor the seagrass transplantation sites (A, B, C and D) was conducted on 19 December 2003 following relocation of sediment plugs on 25 and 26 September 2003. A photographic record of each transplantation site is presented in Figure 1.2.
1.7 At each transplantation location, close observation of the mud surface did not detect the presence of seagrass. No seagrass plants were present growing on the sediment previously identified as supporting seagrass in the EIA report. Although the transplanted sediment may contain seeds derived from previously existing seagrasses growing on the sediment, monitoring observations revealed no evidence of germination.
1.8 It was observed during the survey that a previously installed marking pole for transplantation site C was removed. A replacement marking pole was installed during the survey.
1.9 Monitoring of relocated sediment plugs was conducted at 4 locations on the Pak Nai intertidal flats on 19 December 2003. Monitoring observations indicated that there was no evidence of seed germination at each monitoring location despite the possibility that the relocated sediment may contain seeds deposited by seagrasses living on it that had since disappeared.