Blog: FLOWBEC – First seabed sonar to measure marine energy effect on environment and wildlife

Researchers from the Universities of Bath and Aberdeen, together with Marine Scotland Science, have successfully deployed and recovered the first seabed sonar measuring the effect marine energy devices have on the environment and wildlife. The novel research took place at EMECs tidal test site at the Fall of Warness in Eday: the first site to be included in the three-year  FLOWBEC (Flow and Benthic Ecology 4D) project.

Two state-of-the-art sonar systems were mounted on a sea bed frame close to the Open Hydro turbine; the first time that sonars – which are normally mounted on a ship as separate units looking down at the seabed – have been adapted to operate autonomously for several weeks while facing upwards. Collecting the data in this way enabled imaging of a full ‘acoustic curtain’ along the tidal flow and around the turbine, in the highly challenging tidal velocities of the Fall of Warness.

The researchers are working together to identify the wildlife detected by the monitoring systems, how the various species preferentially use areas of water with different characteristics, and how the surrounding environment is affected by the presence of wave and tidal energy converters. The FLOWBEC team deployed the seabed frame containing the sonar systems at the EMEC tidal test site for two weeks at the end of June 2012, and have now begun processing the data. The early results were presented at the European Conference in Underwater Acoustics in Edinburgh last week (from July 2-6).

The full press release can be found at National Oceanography Centre.