PML scientists measure effects of tidal energy
devices
24 July
2012
FLOWBEC (Flow and Benthic Ecology 4D) is a three-year, £1.2
million project that brings together a consortium of researchers
(including PML scientists) to investigate the effects of devices
which harness tidal and wave energy. It is funded by the Natural
Environment Research Council and Defra (the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through monitoring environment and wildlife behaviour at UK test
sites (the first of which is the tidal energy test area of the
European Marine Energy Centre, EMEC, in Orkney) studies will
be carried out to determine how the marine environment
and wildlife is impacted by the use of energy devices. To do this,
the team is using sonar technology and also land base radar
technology (Marine X-Band and long range radars with the WERA
system- WavE RAdar) as well as underwater acoustics from echo
sounders and ADCPs (Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers).
Two state-of-the-art
sonar systems have been developed on a seabed frame placed
within 25-metres of an OpenHydro installation. This monitors fish
and diving seabirds that pass through or feed within the location;
in particular, the study is assessing how seabirds and
fish interact with the structure. The FLOWBEC team deployed
the sea bed frame containing the
sonar systems at the EMEC
tidal energy test site for two weeks at the end of June, and
have now begun processing the data.
Through FLOWBEC, the scientists hope to be able to understand
how changes to water flow and turbulence introduced might affect
the various types of marine wildlife and identify their interaction
with
tidal technology. The team are working together to
identify the wildlife and their behaviour detected by the
monitoring systems. They will investigate how the surrounding
environment is affected by the presence of this renewable
energy structure and how the various species choose to use areas of
the water column with different physical characteristics.
Early data results were presented at the European Conference in
Underwater
Acoustics in Edinburgh last week (from 2 to 6 July 2012) and
the team will also be conducting studies at the WaveHub site off
the Cornish coast, and in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland.
The researchers plan to share the knowledge and provide
data as an open resource for environmental scientists,
following the conclusion of the project. After detailed
analysis, the data will determine how mobile animals behave around
marine renewable devices over a fortnightly
tidal cycle. It also determines the risk of collision
between marine animals and turbines whilst assisting governmental
marine spatial planners by bringing a level of certainty
to the decision of where to allow renewable developments.
