Offshore Concrete Jungles

Must we sacrifice habitats to make room for sustainable energy? Facing the consequences of fossil fuel emissions, we are presented with a warming climate and growing energy demands. In response, the focus shifts to the development of safer renewable energy sources over more volatile nuclear power. The fast-emerging wind power industry shows potential, with offshore farms producing higher yields than terrestrial as well as minimising the threat of turbines towering over people’s back gardens. Over the past 15 years offshore wind farms have been popping up along the UK’s coastlines proposing a new use for our coastal waters. Climate change threatens marine life with the emergence of evermore acidic and warming waters, therefore deaccelerating it, by implementing renewable energy, is vital for the future of biodiversity. However, concerns are being raised about the effect that these new steel colonies are imposing on the surrounding wildlife. Looking beneath the water’s surface; some associate turbine construction with habitat loss and marine wildlife disturbance. Is further habitat loss the price that ecosystems have to pay for the future benefits of clean energy? Perhaps not!

Initially, Yes, the construction of offshore wind farms will cause disruption to the surrounding area, producing noise and deterring organisms from the site. With time however, the turbine bases can evolve into flourishing artificial reefs. The structures act as nets collecting plankton, putting in the foundations for a new food web and habitat. Soon after numerous bivalves such as muscles and oysters will begin to inhabit the area. They bring with them their ability to filter the surrounding water of inorganic substrates and excess plankton, making the area a more desirable home to other creatures. The range of ocean floor habitats that the farms create has the potential to support a diverse range of benthic organisms, such as worms and crabs. An increased density of such smaller prey animals can then support other creatures higher up the food chain such as Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) for instance. Cod, along with other fish, have been known to benefit significantly from offshore wind farms due to the refuge that they provide. Nurturing the vulnerable Atlantic cod population is important not only for conservation efforts but also for commercial reasons. In fact, the artificial reefs can potentially support the fish stocks in nearby fisheries, hence the structures can aid multiple industry sectors as well as the environment.

Travelling further up the food chain, offshore wind farms can also foster marine mammal populations. Whilst they typically avoid the vicinity of the structures during construction, a study in the Netherlands found that both harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) regularly visit active wind farms post construction. Thought to be used for the mammals’ foraging activities, the artificial reef provides a desirable food source, widening the range of organisms that the habitat can support.

While the long-term benefits of greener energy to biodiversity seem idyllic, the short-term costs often don’t sit quite as comfortably. Whilst inserting massive industrial machines into our sea beds could spark concern for our wildlife, marine biologists can at least take some solace in their potential to become havens for biodiversity in the, hopefully more sustainable, future. There are still improvements to be made concerning the turbine’s harmony with birdlife and more to be understood regarding the impacts of construction. However, the cost to wildlife for a greener future isn’t looking so bleak.

...This article was published in New Nature's September issue 2017

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