Enrichment and shifts in macrobenthic assemblages in an offshore wind farm area in the Belgian part of the North Sea

Coates, D.; Deschutter, Yana; Vincx, Magda; Vanaverbeke, Jan

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2013.12.008

Cited by 99 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Higher abundances of infauna generally were found closer to the scour protection of a wind turbine in the North Sea where organic matter and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations were higher than at distances further away (Coates et al 2014). One hypothesis is that increased flow around a structure could facilitate a greater incorporation and mixing of organic matter and nutrients in the soft-sediment areas closest to the structure, thus attracting more organisms to the structure (Fabi et al 2002, Falcão et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are players in biogeochemical cycling and a food source for larger organisms, such as demersal fish, crustaceans, and people (Davis et al 1982, Hogue & Carey 1982, Yeung et al 2010, Coates et al 2014. Additionally, the low mobility of benthic infauna makes them excellent indicators of environmental quality, and they frequently have been used as ecological indicators of various environmental conditions, such as pollutant concentrations, oxygen levels (Pearson & Rosenberg 1978, Sivadas et al 2010, and sediment characteristics (Gray 1974, Smith et al 2001, Coates et al 2014. A shift in sediment composition has been shown to cause a shift in the community composition from suspension feeders to deposit feeders and negatively correlated with species diversity (Gray 1974, Mannino & Montagna 1997.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Benthic effects of artificial structures deployed in a tidal estuary

Mendoza

Henkel

2017

Plankton Benthos Res

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There has been increased enthusiasm to mitigate the negative effects of fossil fuel consumption through the use of cleaner sources of energy, like marine renewable energy (MRE). Concerns about MRE deployments have motivated research on the ecological effects of these new man-made structures in marine environments. We assessed the extent to which soft-sediment habitats are influenced by the presence of artificial structures deployed in Yaquina Bay, Oregon, USA. Grain size analyses confirmed artificial structures altered the sediment distribution around them with larger grain sizes detected closer to the structures. Infaunal abundances were higher closer to the artificial structures; however, these differences did not result in statistically significant effects on diversity or richness in relation to distance from the structures, nor were they sufficient to cause statistically significant changes in infaunal communities as compared to reference areas. This study provided additional evidence that artificial structures alter their physical environment, but in our study detected differences were less than those observed between the two different regions of the estuary and any effects on infauna were localized and smaller than differences between different regions of the estuary. Conducting these studies in an Oregon estuary provided a good proxy for estimating potential effects of in-stream tidal energy deployments in the Pacific Northwest while also demonstrating the importance of site-specific research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benthic effects of artificial structures deployed in a tidal estuary

Mendoza

Henkel

2017

Plankton Benthos Res

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“…Other impacts to soft sediment communities from pre-construction states include changes in regional current regimes, causing shifts in macro-benthic assemblages on a localized scale [99,100]. Studies have shown negative correlations between distance from turbines and grain sizes in the vicinity of turbines (measured from a distance from turbine of 15 m to 200 m) in the Belgian part of the North Sea, which were also positively correlated with increases in organic matter and a shift in species assemblages.…”

Section: Potential Effects Of Mediterranean Benthic Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies have shown negative correlations between distance from turbines and grain sizes in the vicinity of turbines (measured from a distance from turbine of 15 m to 200 m) in the Belgian part of the North Sea, which were also positively correlated with increases in organic matter and a shift in species assemblages. The closer to the turbine the soft sediment community samples were taken, the greater the increase in macrobenthic density and diversity [99].…”

Section: Potential Effects Of Mediterranean Benthic Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expected Effects of Offshore Wind Farms on Mediterranean Marine Life

Bray

Reizopoulou

Voukouvalas

et al. 2016

JMSE

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Current climate policy and issues of energy security mean wind farms are being built at an increasing rate to meet energy demand. As wind farm development is very likely in the Mediterranean Sea, we provide an assessment of the offshore wind potential and identify expected biological effects of such developments in the region. We break new ground here by identifying potential offshore wind farm (OWF) "hotspots" in the Mediterranean. Using lessons learned in Northern Europe, and small-scale experiments in the Mediterranean, we identify sensitive species and habitats that will likely be influenced by OWFs in both these hotspot areas and at a basin level. This information will be valuable to guide policy governing OWF development and will inform the industry as and when environmental impact assessments are required for the Mediterranean Sea.

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“…Regarding the impacts of OWFs on benthos (fauna living in, on or nearby the seabed), an increase in their number was observed after OWF construction (Ashley et al, 2014;Coates et al, 2014;Dannheim et al, 2014;Vaissière et al, 2014;Bergman et al, 2015;Schuster et al, 2015;Hammar et al, 2016). However, the species composition changed as a result of the new habitats.…”

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confidence: 99%

Offshore Wind Energy: Good Practice in Impact Assessment, Mitigation and Compensation

Lüdeke

2017

J. Env. Assmt. Pol. Mgmt.

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Aiming towards good practice in the planning and approval of offshore wind farms suggestions are provided for the amendment of environmental impact assessment (EIA), an effective marine spatial planning and the establishment of marine compensation measure. The investigation is focused on the situation in Germany as a frontrunner in ecological research on offshore wind energy. After 10 years of research in Germany, it is timely to offer a synopsis of the results especially regarding the successful investigations of mitigation measures. The results are based on published data collected in Germany over the last 10 years, as well as international research. The outcomes of the research were validated by interviewing experts using the Delphi method.Key findings for good practice in impact assessment, mitigation and compensation:1. EIAs should focus on decision-relevant subjects of protection (i.e. specific bird species and harbour porpoises). 2. There is a strong necessity for thresholds for the approval process. 3. Exclusion of OWFs in hotspots of sensitive species. 4. Application of state-of-the-art mitigation measures particularly against underwater noise to avoid damages of the hearing of porpoises. 5. The introduction of marine compensation measures is strongly suggested.

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Enrichment and shifts in macrobenthic assemblages in an offshore wind farm area in the Belgian part of the North Sea

Cited by 99 publications

References 37 publications

Benthic effects of artificial structures deployed in a tidal estuary

Benthic effects of artificial structures deployed in a tidal estuary

Expected Effects of Offshore Wind Farms on Mediterranean Marine Life

Offshore Wind Energy: Good Practice in Impact Assessment, Mitigation and Compensation

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