Tidal Site Projects
The main environmental sensitivities at the test site are marine mammals and diving seabirds (Tidal Environment). Developers need to adequately address the potential impact their device may have on these and other components of the receiving environment in order to gain the necessary consents and licences to deploy. To aid this process EMEC has gained funding to proceed with the following projects:
1. Wildlife Displacement: Observations Programme
The purpose of the wildlife observations monitoring project is to provide data to address the issue of whether or not displacement, or other alteration to behaviour and distribution, occurs in the resident wildlife due to the presence and/or operation of marine energy devices.
The methodology, timing of observations and data analysis has been overseen by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) – the expert stakeholder group in this area.
The data for the first two years’ observations from July 2005 onwards have been analysed to produce annual reports which have been used by developers in applying for their licences to deploy. EMEC has produced a summary
poster which can be downloaded here.
This project is planned to continue until the appropriate regulatory and advisory bodies advise otherwise.
2. Acoustic Output from Devices: Acoustic Characterisation and Monitoring
Acoustic emissions from tidal devices may have potential effects on some wildlife species and as such this area is currently under investigation. Possible targets for such effects include sea mammals, some fish species and potentially diving birds.
Recognising the importance of this, HIE has supported the development of a methodology for the collection of acoustic baseline data, which will characterise the ambient sound at the tidal site and form the basis of crucial long term monitoring. The Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) has been developing the equipment and trialling a suitable methodology.
The acquisition of some baseline data to describe the ambient acoustic characteristics of the tidal test at the Fall of Warness has been completed and the results are currently being analysed.
3. Sub-Surface Interactions: Sonar System
The possibility of damage to wildlife through physical collision with wave or tidal devices is an issue of some concern across environmental stakeholders. Studies relating to physical collision / damage to wildlife are likely to be informed by visual monitoring. With limitations on video coverage, due to both turbidity and natural light constraints, EMEC together with SMRU have been involved in taking forward a project (funded by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR)) using ‘active’ sonar to investigate possible collision damage.
4. Energy Extraction by Tidal Devices
The potential impacts of future large-scale commercial deployments of tidal energy devices extracting large amounts of energy from the tides, is an area of concern associated with the tidal energy industry. A large amount of relevant modelling work has already been completed, for example under the SUPERGEN project. EMEC has an important part to play in the ground-truthing of such models by utilising the data collected using acoustic current doppler profilers. EMEC has provided selections of our data to a number of institutions for a variety of projects working in this field.
5. MetOcean Research
EMEC works in cooperation with a range of higher education institutions to investigate various aspects of the MetOcean resource at our test sites. Recent outputs from this include the following papers available to download below: