A multidisciplinary team has successfully tested a novel autonomous monitoring system designed to improve how environmental evidence is generated for decision-makers managing the sustainable future expansion of floating offshore wind.
As the UK accelerates its transition to renewable energy, floating offshore wind - which sees floating turbines mounted on buoyant platforms tethered to the seafloor - is expected to play a vital role in achieving national net zero ambitions.
But while there is a growing body of scientific evidence on the environmental effects of fixed offshore wind farms, much less is known about how floating developments may interact with deeper seas, seasonal changes and the wider marine ecosystem.
Researchers on the EQUIFy project, which brings together experts from Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), the University of Plymouth, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and a wider network of academic, public-sector and industry partners, are looking to address this.
The research team has developed an evidence-based framework that can quantify ecosystem change associated with floating offshore wind developments and support regulators and decision-makers.
They recently conducted a trial in Smart Sound Plymouth using the PML Pioneer to guide a five-metre wave-propelled, uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) and test its novel onboard integrated sensor payload.
The trial combined meteorological and oceanographic (met-ocean) observations, industry-standard fishery acoustics, and autonomous environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, ensuring monitoring capabilities from physics to fish.
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