Understanding the impacts and benefits of offshore wind on fish in the Greater North Sea

Project Description:

This PhD scholarship is supported by industry partner, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. The project is part of a research cluster focusing on understanding environmental impacts and consequences.

This project aims to better understand the long-term temporal impacts and benefits of offshore wind (OSW) on fish distribution and movements across large spatial scales, with a focus on the Greater North Sea region. The novelty of this study lies in drawing together the temporal (past, present and future) and spatial scales (the Greater North Sea), the incorporation of biotelemetry data, and the consideration of both marine and diadromous fishes.

Harvesting renewable energy from winds, currents, tides, and waves is a relatively new human activity that can impact marine ecosystems. For some pressures the environmental impact is not well understood, requiring specific research to ensure environmental sustainability. Wind turbines and associated power cable infrastructure introduces pressures on marine ecosystems during construction (e.g., pile driving and cable laying) and operation, introduce physical infrastructure to the ocean, alter the water currents, and emit electromagnetic fields, along with elevated vessel traffic, which produces noise and collision risk for some animals (Gill et al., 2020). Using acoustic telemetry, we can gather pre-development baseline spatiotemporal animal movement data. In fact, Ingram et al. (2019) suggested that acoustic telemetry should be a prerequisite to evaluate the impact of an offshore wind (OSW) energy development to mitigate its potential negative impacts on the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus.

Once constructed, human-made infrastructures can also provide physical habitat for fish aggregation, influencing local biodiversity and potentially ecosystem functioning. Reubens et al. (2013, 2014) used acoustic telemetry and stomach content analysis to identify a seasonal preference to wind farms related to feeding but also shelter from currents and predators in a commercially important fish in the North Sea. More recently, acoustic telemetry studies have revealed significant impacts of seismic surveys, shipping, and wind farm noise on fish behavioural patterns and potential effects on population survival and fisheries productivity (e.g., van der Knaap et al., 2021, 2022). However, we still do not fully understand the magnitude of the current impact of OSW construction and operation and the best way to implement scientifically informed effective solutions.

Notwithstanding, windfarms also have the potential to provide direct and indirect environmental benefits, including providing protection and refuge areas for certain species and life stages of fish, especially where commercial fishing is restricted from accessing inside the windfarm. There is also increasing awareness on the requirement for OSW to incorporate projects that could promote nature recovery from a disturbed state, such as fish refuges and artificial reefs, to assist in improving the potential benefits of the new infrastructure. Furthermore, in the North Sea 2016-2021 Policy Memorandum, it has been recommended to open OSW farms to shared use, such as marine aquaculture (including seafood and seaweed), other forms of renewable energy generation and storage (including solar or tidal energy) and passive fishing (including crab traps and lobster creels). Whilst still at early stages, they may influence the prevailing fish communities relative to before construction and areas outside the windfarm.

The collaboration with CEFAS will allow access to data that will supplement other publicly available traditional fish survey and environmental data, such as bathymetry, temperature and benthic habitat, to reveal habitat associations. The PhD will also link the successful student with leading authorities on understanding fish interactions with OSW farms in Belgium, France, Norway and The Netherlands using acoustic telemetry. Doing so will provide connections to projects with complementary research objectives at partner institutions, such as the FISH INTEL project.

For more information about the project, please email Dr Jon Bolland via J.Bolland@hull.ac.uk. For enquiries about the CDT, please email auracdt@hull.ac.uk.