Project description and objectives
Marine renewable energy devices (MRED) constitute artificial reefs and have the capacity to host biological assemblages that deliver ecological services. Understanding the performance of artificial reefs, in terms of productivity, has been identified as one of the pressing research needs in relation to the ecological impacts of offshore renewables and is of fundamental interest to my PhD.
Cuttings of the bioindicator bryozoan Flustra foliacea will be collected and redeployed to the Loch Linnhe Reef, a 6200 tonne multi-modular, purpose-built underwater experimental matrix located off the west coast of Scotland. Variations in the growth of these colonies will be linked to variations in the food supply, as a function of flow interactions and sedimentation on, or within, a single reef unit (e.g. height on the reef), and between different reef units.
Understanding the processes that govern the productivity associated with artificial structures will enable us to both predict the ecological consequences of deploying MRED and inform us how to modify proposed, or existing structures, in order to maximise their benefit to coastal ecosystems. Such an approach will mitigate against the potential loss of access (e.g. to fishermen) that may occur around offshore renewable devices.
- Tom Wilding, Director of Studies, SAMS
- Joanne Porter, Supervisor, Heriot Watt University
MASTS Prize Studentship
University of the Highlands and Islands / University of Aberdeen