Publication Date:
2017-09-30
Description:
Marine renewable energy projects (MREs) are supported by mandatory environmental
monitoring programmes due to assumed environmental impacts. These programmes
concentrate on the resultant effects of single industrial projects onto biological and physical
components contributing to the local ecosystem structure. To date, impact assessments at the
ecosystem functioning level (e.g. trophic interactions, nutrient cycling) are largely lacking.
This critical knowledge gap hampers our ability to answering the “so what” question when
assessing environmental impacts, i.e. whether the observed impacts are classified as good, bad
or neutral, and/or acceptable or unacceptable. When assessing MREs, there is a fundamental
need to focus on ecosystem functioning at relevant spatial and temporal scales to properly
understand ecological impacts and its consequences. Here, we make a science-based plea for
an increased investment in large scale impact assessment of MREs focused on ecosystem
functioning. This presentation will cover a selection of examples from MRE monitoring
programmes, where the current knowledge has limited conclusions on the “so what” question.
Further, applications will demonstrate how a proposed ecosystem functioning approach at an
appropriate spatial and temporal scale could advance our current assessment. These examples
will illustrate the need to expand the current level of MRE monitoring beyond that of
community structure and of individual industrial projects. This work will advance and
strengthen collaborative MRE monitoring strategies, facilitating scientists, developers and
regulators to answer the much needed “so what” question when undertaking environmental
assessments, and reassuring stakeholders with high confidence over these assessments.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Conference
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notRev
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