About the Project

Background

Ambitious targets of 40GW of installed offshore wind by 2030 in the UK require development at an unprecedented pace and scale.

Uncertainties around environmental impacts from offshore wind farm (OWF) development on protected seabird and marine mammal populations currently constrain impact assessments and delay the planning process. There is therefore an urgent need to better understand how seabirds and marine mammals respond to OWF development and the mechanisms underpinning these responses, particularly changes to prey distribution.

Increased certainty on magnitude of cumulative impacts will facilitate deployment of OWF at the pace and scale needed.

Funding

PrePARED is funded by The Crown Estate Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme (OWEC), Crown Estate Scotland and in kind contributions from Scottish Government Marine Directorate, University of Aberdeen, University of Exeter, Natural England and NatureScot. The project will also use data collected by offshore wind developers in Scotland.

Project Team

The PrePARED project brings together experts who are leading research into environmental effects of OWF development from Scottish Government Marine Directorate, University of Aberdeen, University of Exeter, SMRU, SMRU Consulting, Aarhus University, BioSS, UKCEH, NatureScot and Natural England.

Activities

Fish, seabird and marine mammal data collection in 2022-24 in and around OWF in the Moray Firth and Firth of Forth, Scotland

Fish biomass acoustic surveys, trawls, baited fish traps, cameras, fish tagging

Concurrent with fish surveys, data collection on seabird distribution and movement data from developer-funded GPS tracking

Collect data on harbour porpoise distribution and behaviour from developer-funded passive acoustic monitoring

Characterise broad- and fine-scale fish distribution, biomass, abundance and behaviour

Identification of minimum prey data requirements for modelling predator distribution

Characterising predator distribution and behaviour in relation to prey, OWF construction and operation, vessel noise and environmental covariates

Development of context-specific dose response curves for harbour porpoise incorporating prey data

Identification of generalities in prey response to OWF development and subsequent predator response, applicable across the UK

Increasing certainty on auk displacement rates by inclusion of prey data in models

Integration of new knowledge and understanding into impact assessment models (SeabORD, iPCoD and DEPONS) and model testing/validation

Improved cumulative impact assessment approaches for marine mammals and seabirds informed by project findings

Scoping of predator-prey studies for other parts of the UK

Extensive dissemination of project findings

Outcomes

Increased stakeholder confidence in magnitude of cumulative effects: Delivery of guidance, technical reports and dissemination of outcomes to inform impact assessments, reduce uncertainty, and improve stakeholder (SNCBs, regulators, etc) confidence in sustainable delivery of OWF

Evaluation of both negative and positive effects of OWF development on key receptors: Assessment of changes in fish communities in and around OWF and how this might benefit key receptors

De-risking consenting: Ability to provide applicants with clearer guidance on how cumulative impacts are assessed and evidence to support this, which leads to less uncertainty in decision-making and reduces risk of delays in the planning and licensing process for OWF development

Improved post-consent monitoring: identification of the most important variables for post consent monitoring of seabird and marine mammal responses to OW development, and provision of a framework for targeted and cost effective monitoring to better understand the magnitude of cumulative effects and future planning

Better-informed marine spatial planning: Improved understanding of how and why seabirds and marine mammals are distributing themselves in the marine environment in relation to OWF and prey, providing evidence to inform mapping of constraints and opportunities for future OWF development

Understanding of fish distribution in OWF for fisheries co-existence/co- location: Distributions of commercial fish species will be monitored in and around OWFs, which will provide useful information when considering the potential for co-location and multi-use of sea space