The environment consists of three main zones: the beach and coastal vegetation; the nearshore shelf zone consisting mostly of coral rubble and bedrock outcrop; and the coral reef zone in deeper water.  Along the project site, beaches and coastal vegetation were destroyed, prior to construction, by the encroachment of development and the related construction of seawalls and associated structures. The beach and coastal vegetation serve important ecological purposes, one of the most important being turtle nesting habitat. The nearshore shelf zone was found to support a variety of marine species and also very importantly is one of the main sources of sand that supply the natural beaches along this section of coast. Coral communities offshore of the shelf have been identified, evaluated and mapped.

 

The primary impacts of the headland-beach concept include:

Mitigation measures and monitoring procedures were developed to address these primary impacts. The technical specifications, which guided the Contractor’s activities during the construction period, addressed the need to avoid, to the extent possible, damage to coastal vegetation. Also, there was monitoring for turtle nesting particularly during the main turtle nesting season. The Barbados Sea Turtle Project was notified when nests were found. Ultimately, as the new coastal vegetation takes hold, and the beaches are “naturalised” through the action of waves and the ongoing supply of sand, the potential turtle nesting area will actually be expanded by the project.

 

An extensive programme for monitoring turbidity and sedimentation was implemented during construction.