Context

The ORE sector is expected to grow strongly between 2015 and 2020, in Europe and in France. The first prototypes are currently being installed or built at demonstration sites. There is a need for better knowledge of the natural environment of the potential sites. The impact of the turbines must be evaluated objectively and initial states of the operating areas are in progress. The benthic compartment, which includes the substrate and the fauna and flora that grows on the seabed, plays a key role in the functioning of coastal ecosystems. However, to date, knowledge of the potential impacts of ORE on this compartment is extremely patchy.

Objective

To monitor the impacts of offshore renewable energy on the benthic compartment by passive acoustics.

Scientific and technical contents

• Experimentation in a controlled environment and in situ to investigate the acoustic impacts of anthropogenic noise on benthos.
• Development of a benthos observation and monitoring method by passive acoustics.
• Development of a multi-parameter environmental measurement platform prototype.

Resources

Project sheet (PDF)

Partners and funding

This project was led by Grenoble INP and France Energies Marines.

The total project budget was €535K.

This project received funding from France Energies Marines and its members and partners, as well as French State funding managed by the National Research Agency under the Investments for the Future Programme (ANR-10-IEED-0006-05).

Photo credit: Erwan Amice, CNRS