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A Biological and Cultural Resource Survey:
From Proposal to Reality...
A Biological and Cultural Resource Survey: From Proposal to Reality... |
 Dr. Ray McAllister examines reef damage from cables traversing our reefs. |
In spring of 2001, MARC members sought to halt the damage to our reef system caused by fiber optic cables and proposed that communications companies instead use the natural gaps in the reef to lay their cables. The result was a proposal which was submitted in edited video format by the MARC team and distributed by request to all relative members of the Florida Cabinet. The video demonstrated both the damage to biological resources and the existence of nearby reef gaps, as well as the common practice of routing cables around federally restricted areas already in practice. The video proposal was met with overwhelming support at the Cabinet meetings and hearings. |
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As a result, Florida Teleport Inc. became the first telecommunications company to seek to use these gaps, and contracted the MARC team to find gaps in the reef to route their cable, and to conduct a remote sensing cultural resource survey within their proposed corridor as to also protect against damage to potential historic shipwrecks in the area. Jane Bergstrom and Leonard Nero from DPEP conducted the initial exploratory dives with the MARC team to examine the gaps found and to verify their location and the feasibility of the proposal. MARC members worked hard on the project and remote sensing survey and served as field operatives to Florida Teleport. The team filmed every inch of the corridor with and submitted their findings in edited video format to Florida Teleport as well as to CP&E who served as consultants to examine the submerged cultural resource survey. All told, two edited videos and two compilations or raw video and remote sensing data were submitted with the written report. The survey was completed from the MARC vessel SURVEYOR. |
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 Jane Bergstrom and Leonard Nero of Florida DPEP examine the sand depth in the gap. |
 Daryl Wilmoth and Dr. Ray McAllister monitor magnetometer data while examining the reef gap for submerged cultural resources. |
 There it is! Leonard Nero of DPEP demonstrates the gaps proximity to the fiber optic cable facility. |