Documents Repository

Marine Scotland Science scientists are working on a project to investigate the potential effects of proposed wind farms on the circulation in the Firth of Forth and Tay area, off the Scottish east coast. The wind farms are projected to be sited in relatively shallow sand bank areas which are important habitats for sandeels, which is term sustain very important populations of seabirds and marine mammals. Significant changes to the circulation patterns may affect the physical characteristics of the sea bed and thus their suitability as sandeel habitats, while other hydrographic changes may affect primary productivity, with ensuing changes to the ecosystem structure and function. Rory O'Hara Murray (r.murray@marlab.ac.uk) has developed a FVCOM model of the area at very high maximum resolution (down to 10 m within the wind farms), representing turbine foundations as islands within the model. Simulations have shown small nearfield effects on current speeds but no noticeable effects further afield. The outputs of the FVCOM model are being used by a University of Aberdeen/Marine Scotland Science joint postdoc (Jacqui Tweddle; jftweddle@abdn.ac.uk) as forcing data for a 1-D primary productivity model to investigate the potential effects of any physical changes on primary productivity and higher trophic levels.

D5, Descriptor 5, modelling, wind farm, Firth of Forth, scotland, sandeels, hydrographic changes,

-

20/01/2016

Workshop of the Network of Experts for ReDeveloping Models of the European Marine Environment

OV

EN

201604195013

Download: 500.0 Ko