Offshore wind farms and marine environment Ideas from UNIFOB

offshore wind farm impacts: exploration phase (Source: Elliott, 2002)

offshore wind farm impacts: construction phase (Source: Elliott, 2002)

offshore wind farm impacts: operation (Source: Elliott, 2002)

offshore wind farm impact assessment (traditional) Investigations and monitoring of impacts on: –benthos –fishes –marine mammals –seabirds –bird migration Useful web sites: –German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (Standards for offshore EIA): ex.jsp ex.jsp –Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (results from Vindval research programme ) –Noordzeewind (monitoring at offshore wind farm Noordzeewind, The Netherlands ) –Danish Energy Authority (results from offshore wind farm monitoring in Denmark) oeller/index.htm

offshore wind farm impact assessment (new aspect: impact on pelagic environment)

offshore wind farm impact assessment (new aspect: impact on pelagic environment & creation of new habitats) Increased productivity of phytoplankton Changes in species composition and structure of pelagic communities Increased productivity of upper trophic levels (zooplankton, fish, mammals…) Increased sedimentation Offshore wind farms Influence on wind pattern Upper ocean divergence Local upwelling Changes in termohaline structure Nutrient enrichment of the productive (euphotic) layer Potential for harmful algae blooms Changes in benthic communities Creation of new habitats New seabed habitats (e.g. scour protection) Artificial reefs on pillars Changes in fish communities

offshore wind farm impact assessment (new aspect: habitat creation potential of offshore wind farms) This study has shown that there is the capacity for offshore wind farms and their associated scour protection to provide a certain amount of habitat creation through their installation. At the very minimum, this could act as compensation for habitat lost, but with careful planning and design from the earliest planning stages, there is the potential for actual habitat creation to occur. This could have far-reaching benefits for both the local and regional environment, as well as potentially local fisheries using the area. –With further work, using more recent data sets and employing modelling techniques, it would also provide a greater argument in the future for the installation of offshore wind farms, strengthening planning applications for future developments.

offshore wind farm impact assessment (new aspect: habitat creation potential of offshore wind farms)

Ideas for doctorate studies on the offshore wind farm impacts

(Traditional themes) Impacts on benthic communities, fish, birds, mammals Ideas for doctorate studies on the offshore wind farm impacts

Impacts of offshore wind farms on pelagic ecosystems »alteration of the upper ocean circulation »upwelling/downwelling effects »environmental sensor technology, incl. automatic pelagic image recognition »increased productivity »influence on fish recruitment, fish stock Ideas for doctorate studies on the offshore wind farm impacts

The habitat creation potential of offshore wind farms »Colonisation of artificial substrates »Environmental sensor technology, incl. automatic pelagic image recognition »ROV and AUV technology for benthic studies »Assessment of environmental gains and losses (e.g. in terms of habitats lost/created) Ideas for doctorate studies on the offshore wind farm impacts

Aquaculture opportunities at offshore wind farms »Artificial substrates, increased productivity »New aquaculture products, new technologies »e.g. moving salmon aquaculture out from fjords Feasibility study

Researcher project? KMB project? –Industrial partners? (Ind. > 20-25%; Res. Council 75%) –NORCOWE BKK Agder Lyse Statkraft Statoil Hydro Grieg Logistics Hav og Kyst programme

Biotope sensitivity assessment procedure (Hiscock & Tyler-Walters 2003)

Conceptual scheme of the biological valuation method and possible future steps in developing decision support tools for managers BVM – Biological valuation map From: Derous et al., 2007

Four main categories of goods and services 1.Production services are products obtained from the ecosystem. 2.Regulating services are the benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes. 3.Cultural services are the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems. 4.Supporting services are those that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services, but do not yield direct benefits to humans.