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Knorrn AH, Teder T, Kaasik A, Kreitsberg R. Beneath the blades: Marine wind farms support parts of local biodiversity - a systematic review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173241. [PMID: 38768731 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Offshore wind energy developments in European waters are rapidly expanding to meet the increasing global demand for renewable energy. These developments provide new substrates for species colonisation, but also introduce changes in electromagnetic fields, noise levels, and hydrological conditions. Understanding how these man-made structures affect marine biodiversity across various species groups is crucial, yet our knowledge in this field remains incomplete. In this synthesis paper, based on 14 case studies conducted in northeastern Atlantic (North, Irish and Baltic seas), we aggregated species-level data on abundance, biomass, and other quantity proxies spanning the entire food chain from invertebrates to mammals, and compared these variables between wind farms and nearby control sites. Overall, our analysis revealed that in wind farm areas, species tend to occur at higher quantities than in control areas. Additionally, we noticed a slight trend where the positive effect of wind farms was more pronounced in newly established ones, gradually diminishing as wind farms aged. None of the tested covariates (depth, distance from coastline, years in commission) nor species' characteristics (habitat and spawning types, trophic level) showed statistical significance. When examining species groups individually, there was a tendency for wind farm areas to harbour higher quantities of polychaetes, echinoderms and demersal fishes. These findings suggest that wind farms contribute to the so-called reef-effect, providing shelter and food supplies to their inhabitants and acting as no-take-zones. Our results support the idea that wind farms could serve as zones of increased local biodiversity, potentially facilitating spillover effects to nearby areas for certain species groups. Further studies are necessary to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the adverse effects of wind farms on associated biodiversity, while also exploring avenues to amplify their positive impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander H Knorrn
- Marine Research Department, Senckenberg am Meer, Südstrand 40, 26382 Wilhelmshaven, Germany; MARUM, Research Faculty University of Bremen, Loebener Str. 8, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| | - Tiit Teder
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Juhan Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcka 129, Praha 6, Suchdol 165 21, Czech Republic
| | - Ants Kaasik
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Juhan Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Randel Kreitsberg
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Juhan Liivi 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
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Buyse J, Hostens K, Degraer S, De Troch M, Wittoeck J, De Backer A. Increased food availability at offshore wind farms affects trophic ecology of plaice Pleuronectes platessa. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160730. [PMID: 36496027 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Offshore wind farms (OWFs) and their associated cables, foundations and scour protection are often constructed in soft-sediment environments. This introduction of hard substrate has been shown to have similar effects as artificial reefs by providing food resources and offering increased habitat complexity, thereby aggregating fish around the turbines and foundations. However, as most studies have focused their efforts on fish species that are typically associated with reef structures, knowledge on how soft sediment species are affected by OWFs is still largely lacking. In this study, we analysed the trophic ecology and condition of plaice, a flatfish species of commercial interest, in relation to a Belgian OWF. The combination of a stomach and intestine content analysis with the use of biomarkers (i.e. fatty acids and stable isotopes) identified a clear shift in diet with increased occurrences of typical hard-substrate prey species for fish in the vicinity of the foundations and this both on the short and the long term. Despite some condition indices suggesting that the hard substrate provides increased food availability, no clear increases of overall plaice condition or fecundity were found. Samples from within the wind farm, however, contained larger fish and had a higher abundance of females compared to control areas, potentially indicating a refuge effect caused by the cessation of fisheries activities within the OWF. These results suggest that soft-sediment species can potentially benefit from the presence of an OWF, which could lead to fish production. However, more research is still needed to further elucidate the behavioral ecology of plaice within OWFs to make inferences on how they can impact fish populations on a larger spatial scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Buyse
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Marine Research, Jacobsenstraat 1, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium; Ghent University, Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Kris Hostens
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Marine Research, Jacobsenstraat 1, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Steven Degraer
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Marine Ecology and Management, Vautierstraat 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; Ghent University, Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marleen De Troch
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research Group, Krijgslaan 281 - S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan Wittoeck
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Marine Research, Jacobsenstraat 1, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Annelies De Backer
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Marine Research, Jacobsenstraat 1, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
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Berkström C, Wennerström L, Bergström U. Ecological connectivity of the marine protected area network in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak: Current knowledge and management needs. AMBIO 2022; 51:1485-1503. [PMID: 34964951 PMCID: PMC9005595 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01684-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) have become a key component of conservation and fisheries management to alleviate anthropogenic pressures. For MPA networks to efficiently promote persistence and recovery of populations, ecological connectivity, i.e. dispersal and movement of organisms and material across ecosystems, needs to be taken into account. To improve the ecological coherence of MPA networks, there is hence a need to evaluate the connectivity of species spreading through active migration and passive dispersal. We reviewed knowledge on ecological connectivity in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak in the northeast Atlantic and present available information on species-specific dispersal and migration distances. Studies on genetic connectivity are summarised and discussed in relation to dispersal-based analyses. Threats to ecological connectivity, limiting dispersal of populations and lowering the resilience to environmental change, were examined. Additionally, a review of studies evaluating the ecological coherence of MPA networks in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak was performed, and suggestions for future evaluations to meet management needs are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Berkström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Lovisa Wennerström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Ulf Bergström
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Coastal Research, Skolgatan 6, 742 42 Öregrund, Sweden
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Nissling A, Thorsen A, da Silva FFG. Fecundity regulation by atresia in turbot Scophthalmus maximus in the Baltic Sea. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2016; 88:1301-20. [PMID: 26928526 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Down-regulation of fecundity through oocyte resorption was assessed in Baltic Sea turbot Scophthalmus maximus at three locations in the period from late vitellogenesis in April to spawning during June to July. The mean ± s.d. total length of the sampled fish was 32.7 ± 3.1 cm and mean ± s.d. age was 6.2 ± 1.5 years. Measurements of atresia were performed using the 'profile method' with the intensity of atresia adjusted according to the 'dissector method' (10.6% adjustment; coefficient of determination was 0.675 between methods). Both prevalence (portion of fish with atresia) and intensity (calculated as the average proportion of atretic cells in fish displaying atresia) of atresia were low in prespawning fish, but high from onset of spawning throughout the spawning period. Atretic oocytes categorized as in early alpha and in late alpha state occurred irrespective of maturity stage from late prespawning individuals up to late spawning fish, showing that oocytes may become atretic throughout the spawning period. Observed prevalence of atresia throughout the spawning period was almost 40% with an intensity of c. 20%. This indicates extensive down-regulation, i.e. considerably lower realized (number of eggs spawned) v. potential fecundity (number of developing oocytes), suggesting significant variability in reproductive potential. The extent of fecundity regulation in relation to fish condition (Fulton's condition factor) is discussed, suggesting an association between levels of atresia and fish condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Nissling
- Ar Research Station, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, SE-621 67, Visby, Sweden
| | - A Thorsen
- Institute of Marine Research, P. O. Box 1870, Nordnes, N-5817, Bergen, Norway
| | - F F G da Silva
- Institute of Marine Research, P. O. Box 1870, Nordnes, N-5817, Bergen, Norway
- National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Jaegersborg, Allé 1, DK-2920, Charlottenlund, Denmark
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Fernández-Chacón A, Moland E, Espeland SH, Olsen EM. Demographic effects of full vs. partial protection from harvesting: inference from an empirical before-after control-impact study on Atlantic cod. J Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Even Moland
- Institute of Marine Research; Nye Flødevigveien 20 4817 His Norway
- Department of Natural Sciences; University of Agder; P.O. Box 422 4604 Kristiansand Norway
| | | | - Esben Moland Olsen
- Institute of Marine Research; Nye Flødevigveien 20 4817 His Norway
- Department of Natural Sciences; University of Agder; P.O. Box 422 4604 Kristiansand Norway
- Department of Biosciences; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Syntheses (CEES); University of Oslo; P.O. Box 1066 Blindern 0316 Oslo Norway
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Bizzarro JJ, Broms KM, Logsdon MG, Ebert DA, Yoklavich MM, Kuhnz LA, Summers AP. Spatial segregation in eastern North Pacific skate assemblages. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109907. [PMID: 25329312 PMCID: PMC4203758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Skates (Rajiformes: Rajoidei) are common mesopredators in marine benthic communities. The spatial associations of individual species and the structure of assemblages are of considerable importance for effective monitoring and management of exploited skate populations. This study investigated the spatial associations of eastern North Pacific (ENP) skates in continental shelf and upper continental slope waters of two regions: central California and the western Gulf of Alaska. Long-term survey data were analyzed using GIS/spatial analysis techniques and regression models to determine distribution (by depth, temperature, and latitude/longitude) and relative abundance of the dominant species in each region. Submersible video data were incorporated for California to facilitate habitat association analysis. We addressed three main questions: 1) Are there regions of differential importance to skates?, 2) Are ENP skate assemblages spatially segregated?, and 3) When skates co-occur, do they differ in size? Skate populations were highly clustered in both regions, on scales of 10s of kilometers; however, high-density regions (i.e., hot spots) were segregated among species. Skate densities and frequencies of occurrence were substantially lower in Alaska as compared to California. Although skates are generally found on soft sediment habitats, Raja rhina exhibited the strongest association with mixed substrates, and R. stellulata catches were greatest on rocky reefs. Size segregation was evident in regions where species overlapped substantially in geographic and depth distribution (e.g., R. rhina and Bathyraja kincaidii off California; B. aleutica and B. interrupta in the Gulf of Alaska). Spatial niche differentiation in skates appears to be more pronounced than previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J. Bizzarro
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kristin M. Broms
- Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Miles G. Logsdon
- School of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David A. Ebert
- Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, California, United States of America
| | - Mary M. Yoklavich
- National Marine Fisheries Service–Southwest Fisheries Science Center–Fisheries Ecology Division, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Linda A. Kuhnz
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, California, United States of America
| | - Adam P. Summers
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, Washington, United States of America
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