Title:
Assessing and mapping Vermetid reefs on the coastline around the Paralimni Marina Project
Duration:
ca 1 month (November 2019)
Subcontracted by:
I.A.CO Ltd
Project Description:
MER was assigned by a private environmental consultancy to assess the status and map the presence/absence of Vermetid reefs along an approximately 1.5 km stretch of shoreline encompassing the potential impact area of the proposed Paralimni Marina Project.
The majority of the coastline examined is characterised by high vermetid coverage indicating that most of the intertidal or upper subtidal reef have long been bio-constructed by vermetids. Despite the high coverage and total density, most vermetids in the majority of the shoreline examined were found dead. Only two areas were found to accommodate high densities of living vermetid populations, one being near the existing port that will be superimposed to direct loss as that particular area is marked for land reclamation.