TY - JOUR
T1 - Predictable changes in fish school characteristics due to a tidal turbine support structure
AU - Williamson, Benjamin
AU - Fraser, Shaun
AU - Williamson, Laura
AU - Nikora, Vladimir
AU - Scott, Beth
N1 - This work was funded by NERC and Defra (NE/J004308/1, NE/J004200/1 and NE/J004332/1). BW was also funded by a NERC MREKEP Internship, an Innovate UK KTP with MeyGen Ltd. (KTP009812), the NERC VertIBase project (NE/N01765X/1) and BEIS OESEA-16-75.
PY - 2019/10
Y1 - 2019/10
N2 - There is uncertainty on the ecological effects of tidal stream turbines. Concerns include animal collision with turbine blades, disruption of migratory and foraging behaviour, attraction of animals to prey aggregating around turbines, or conversely displacement of animals from preferred habitat. This study used concurrent ecological and physical measurements to show the predictability of fish school characteristics (presence, school area and height above seabed) in a high energy tidal site across spring/neap, ebb/flood and daily cycles, and how this changed around a turbine structure. The rate of schools and school area per hour increased by 1.74 and 1.75 times respectively around a turbine structure compared to observations under similar conditions without a turbine structure. The largest schools occurred at peak flow speeds and the vertical distribution of schools over the diel cycle was altered around the turbine structure. While predictable attraction or aggregation of prey may increase prey availability and predator foraging efficiency, attraction of predators has the potential to increase animal collision risk. Predictable changes from the installation of turbine structures can be used to estimate cumulative effects on predators at a population level. This study can guide a strategic approach to the monitoring and management of turbines and arrays.
AB - There is uncertainty on the ecological effects of tidal stream turbines. Concerns include animal collision with turbine blades, disruption of migratory and foraging behaviour, attraction of animals to prey aggregating around turbines, or conversely displacement of animals from preferred habitat. This study used concurrent ecological and physical measurements to show the predictability of fish school characteristics (presence, school area and height above seabed) in a high energy tidal site across spring/neap, ebb/flood and daily cycles, and how this changed around a turbine structure. The rate of schools and school area per hour increased by 1.74 and 1.75 times respectively around a turbine structure compared to observations under similar conditions without a turbine structure. The largest schools occurred at peak flow speeds and the vertical distribution of schools over the diel cycle was altered around the turbine structure. While predictable attraction or aggregation of prey may increase prey availability and predator foraging efficiency, attraction of predators has the potential to increase animal collision risk. Predictable changes from the installation of turbine structures can be used to estimate cumulative effects on predators at a population level. This study can guide a strategic approach to the monitoring and management of turbines and arrays.
KW - Environmental monitoring
KW - Environmental impact
KW - Fish behavior
KW - Marine renewable energy
KW - Tidal stream turbine
KW - Fish behaviour
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065063310&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S096014811930549X
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/predictable-changes-fish-school-characteristics-due-tidal-turbine-support-structure
U2 - 10.1016/j.renene.2019.04.065
DO - 10.1016/j.renene.2019.04.065
M3 - Article
VL - 141
SP - 1092
EP - 1102
JO - Renewable Energy
JF - Renewable Energy
SN - 0960-1481
ER -
