The Salamander floating wind project off Scotland has partnered with two Scottish universities to investigate potential impacts of floaters on marine ecosystems.
Salamander, a joint venture between Orsted, Simply Blue Group and Subsea7, has partnered with University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and University of Aberdeen on the PREDICT 2.0 initiative.
The study forms part of a research programme led by experts at the universities and is designed to develop a better understanding of fish migration patterns.
With significant renewables infrastructure set to be installed in coming years, any potential impacts of future developments on fish and their predators must be considered.
The proposed Salamander site will be used as a monitoring base to gather data on the drivers of variation in fish movement and availability as prey.
Project director at Salamander Hugh Yendole (pictured) said: “We are proud to be collaborating with two leading universities on this crucial piece of research.
“As a stepping stone project, part of our role is to prepare the industry to deliver for the renewable needs of the future, and this study will provide real insight into how we can do so in the most sustainable way possible.”
Associate professor of energy at UHI Benjamin Williamson said: “Marine sensing is vital to understand the environment around floating offshore wind farms.
“Robust information and evidence are needed to inform where offshore wind developments should be located to better protect marine ecosystems.”
Experts will deploy various sensors that can be used to identify fish presence and behaviour in the site, whilst assessing how these change over time.
The original PREDICT programme enhanced understanding of fish migration patterns and provided a vision for next generation monitoring techniques.
The second phase is expected to further such research, working with the Salamander team to investigate the likely impacts of floating offshore wind farms on marine life.
The 100MW Salamander floating offshore wind farm will be located 35km off the coast of Peterhead.