Lastly, studies of flatfish occurrence at BIWF found spatial and temporal variation in abundance, size, and condition, but this variation was not consistent with either positive or negative effects of wind farm construction or operation. Interestingly, the studies at BIWF showed that some concrete cable protection measures did not provide niches for attaching epifauna and epiflora and thus provide no habitat benefit. Observations were made through BOEM and developer-funded studies before and during the installation of the foundations, turbines, and during early operations. In addition to collaboration with ocean users in the siting of the facility, the BIWF has also provided the opportunity to study the impacts of offshore wind development to fishery resources. While the divers were exploring the marine life attached to the turbine structure, they also ventured away to see the fish. Primarily, the inhabitants are mussels, but many other sea creatures are making their home on the turbines including sea stars and anemones. Read more about the results in: Seafloor disturbance and Recovery Monitoring at the Block Island Wind Farm, Rhode Island - Summary Reportįrom the moment the turbines were installed, marine life began to cover the hard surfaces. Data from the three rounds of post-construction surveys were used to evaluate the rate of seafloor recovery. Seafloor bathymetry data from the first and second surveys were primarily used to characterize the different types of seafloor disturbance features that resulted from construction activities. Five rounds of seafloor bathymetry surveys were conducted within a defined construction Work Area from a small research vessel using a Reson SeaBat 7125 ultra-high-resolution multibeam echosounder. Previous studies from Europe have shown that introduction of solid structures onto the seafloor, such as the four-legged BIWF turbine jacket foundations, can modify near-bottom current flow processes and induce scour. Seafloor disturbance and recovery monitoring was conducted in and around the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) to assess the impact of wind farm construction activities on the seafloor. The following reports present methods, observations, results, findings, data, and recommendations from multiple environmental monitoring surveys conducted in and around the BIWF Project Area during the installation and early operations. Observations were made during the installation of the wind turbine foundations, the installation of the turbine towers, and during early operations. The Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) is the first facility to be studied under RODEO. RODEO monitoring is coordinated with the industry and is not intended to interfere with or result in delay of industry activities. However, these efforts will not duplicate or substitute for any monitoring that may otherwise be required to be conducted by the developers of the projects. The purpose also includes recording direct observations during the testing of different types of equipment that may be used during future offshore development to measure or monitor activities and their impact producing factors.ĭata collected under RODEO may be used as input to analyses or models to predict effects from future offshore wind farm construction and operation activities. It does not store any personal data.The purpose of the study Realtime Opportunity for Development Environmental Observations (RODEO) is to make direct, real-time measurements of the nature, intensity, and duration of potential stressors during the construction and initial operations of selected offshore wind facilities. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
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