Between the turbines: soft substrate epibenthos and fish
Vandendriessche, S.; Derweduwen, J.; Hostens, K. (2013). Between the turbines: soft substrate epibenthos and fish, 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. 99-113
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.
With the construction of wind farms, new hard substrates are introduced in the marine environment. The sediment between the turbine rows and around the wind farms, however, remains soft. Still, the inhabiting fauna can be influenced by the presence of the turbines (reef effect) in the wind farm and the absence of fisheries (refugium effect). These effects were investigated for epibenthos, demersal fish and benthopelagic fish in the Thorntonbank and Bligh Bank wind farms. The analyses revealed some wind farm effects, but they were not consistent between wind farms. Fringe effects could not be shown.
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