The macrobenthic community around an offshore wind farm
Coates, D.; Van Hoey, G.; Reubens, J.; Vanden Eede, S.; De Maersschalck, V.; Vincx, M.; Vanaverbeke, J. (2013). The macrobenthic community around an offshore wind farm, in: Degraer, S. et al. (Ed.) Environmental impacts of offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea: Learning from the past to optimise future monitoring programmes. pp. 87-97
In: Degraer, S.; Brabant, R.; Rumes, B. (Ed.) (2013). Environmental impacts of offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea: Learning from the past to optimise future monitoring programmes. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Operational Directorate Natural Environment, Marine Ecology and Management Section: Brussels. ISBN 978-90-9027-928-2. 239 pp.
The soft-substrate macrobenthic community was investigated at a large scale before and after construction of an offshore wind farm. To make a distinction between natural fluctuations of the macrobenthic community and construction effects of the wind farm on the macrobenthos a temporal study was carried out over 32 years followed by a detailed analysis of the monitoring data (2005-2012). A significant difference in community composition was observed between the macrobenthos of the Thorntonbank and the macrobenthic community in the control area during and just after construction, suggesting a short-term construction effect. An impact evaluation with monitoring data was also carried out using the benthic indicator BEQI.
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