Monique SNE Wind Forum BIWF MLB 12Dec2017 FINAL
Be nthic Ha b ita t Ma p p ing
a t the Blo c k Isla nd Wind Fa rm
Mo niq ue La Fra nc e Ba rtle y, Jo hn King , Pa ul Eng lish, Anwa r Kha n
So uthe rn Ne w Eng la nd O ffsho re Wind Ene rg y Fo rum
12 De c e mb e r 2017
Wha t is b e nthic ha b ita t ma p p ing ?
Be nthic = Asso c ia te d with the se a flo o r
Be nthic ha bita t = “ a sp a tia lly d e fine d a re a whe re the p hysic a l,
c he mic a l, a nd b io lo g ic a l e nviro nme nt is d istinc tly d iffe re nt fro m
the surro und ing e nviro nme nt” (Ko style v e t a l., 2001)
Be nthic Ha bita t Ma pping =
Illustra te s b io lo g ic a l &
p hysic a l c ha ra c te ristic s,
d istrib utio n, a nd e xte nt
se a flo o r e nviro nme nts
g e o -sp a tia l c o nte xt
From left: oyster bed, seagrass meadow, amphipod tube
mat, sand flat. (From NOAA Coastal Services Center)
of
in a
Be nthic stud ie s
Imp ro ve und e rsta nd ing o f b e nthic ha b ita ts
Distrib utio n, p a tte rns, p ro c e sse s
Esta b lish me a ning ful re la tio nship s
Esta b lish e nviro nme nta l b a se line s o r a sse ss c ha ng e
Id e ntify ha b ita ts a nd sp e c ie s tha t a re
Imp o rta nt fo o d so urc e s
Ec o no mic a lly va lua b le
Se nsitive / in ne e d o f p ro te c tio n
Goa l of this study: Asse ss pote ntia l c ha ng e s in be nthic
ha bita ts due to the c onstruc tion a nd initia l ope ra tion of
the BI wind turbine s
Hyp o the se s
H0 1 – The re will b e no d iffe re nc e in
b e nthic c o mmunitie s a mo ng turb ine
site s.
H0 2 – The re will b e no d iffe re nc e in
b e nthic c o mmunitie s b e twe e n
c o ntro l site s a nd turb ine site s.
H0 3 – The re is no imp a c t o n d ista nc e
fro m the wind fa rm fo und a tio n
re g a rd ing b e nthic c o mmunitie s o r
o rg a nic e nric hme nt.
Also p ro vid e d a n o p p o rtunity to
c o mp a re p re (O c e a n SAMP) a nd
p o st (this stud y) c o nstruc tio n
d a ta se ts a nd ha b ita t c la ssific a tio ns
Image courtesy of Brian Caccioppoli
Sa mp ling Lo c a tio ns
G ra b Sa mp le Da ta
Se d ime nt g ra in size c la sse s
G ra in size d istrib utio n
Bio lo g y
O rg a nisms living o n o r within
the se d ime nts o f the se a flo o r
18,000+ ind ivid ua ls
139 sp e c ie s
G o -Pro c a me ra
Bro a d e r c o nte xt
http://rqmodules.weebly.com
Ma c ro fa una l Sp e c ie s
Amp hip o d s (C rusta c e a ns)
Po lyc ha e te s (Anne lid s)
Nematodes
Biva lve s (Mo llusks)
Polygordius sp.
Pisione sp.
Lumbrineris sp.
Polycirrus sp.
Unciola irrorata
Flo a t C a me ra Da ta
H0 1: Turb ine Are a s
H0 2: Turb ine vs Re fe re nc e Are a s
Proportion of sediment organic content (%)
H0 3: C ha ng e s with Dista nc e fro m Turb ine
C o mp a riso n o f Ha b ita t C la ssific a tio ns
C o mp a riso n o f Ha b ita t C la ssific a tio ns
O ve ra ll C o nc lusio ns
No c le a r c ha ng e s in b e nthic ha b ita ts o r a sso c ia te d
b io lo g ic a l c o mmunitie s ha ve b e e n d e te c te d d ue to the
p re se nc e o f the wind fa rm a t this p o int in time
C o mp a riso n o f BIWF a nd O c e a n SAMP d a ta furthe r
c o nfirm minima l c ha ng e s ha ve o c c urre d o ve r time
Ha ve e sta b lishe d d e ta ile d b a se line d a ta se t a t the
turb ine site s
Ne xt ite ra tio n o f this stud y is und e rwa y
a t the Blo c k Isla nd Wind Fa rm
Mo niq ue La Fra nc e Ba rtle y, Jo hn King , Pa ul Eng lish, Anwa r Kha n
So uthe rn Ne w Eng la nd O ffsho re Wind Ene rg y Fo rum
12 De c e mb e r 2017
Wha t is b e nthic ha b ita t ma p p ing ?
Be nthic = Asso c ia te d with the se a flo o r
Be nthic ha bita t = “ a sp a tia lly d e fine d a re a whe re the p hysic a l,
c he mic a l, a nd b io lo g ic a l e nviro nme nt is d istinc tly d iffe re nt fro m
the surro und ing e nviro nme nt” (Ko style v e t a l., 2001)
Be nthic Ha bita t Ma pping =
Illustra te s b io lo g ic a l &
p hysic a l c ha ra c te ristic s,
d istrib utio n, a nd e xte nt
se a flo o r e nviro nme nts
g e o -sp a tia l c o nte xt
From left: oyster bed, seagrass meadow, amphipod tube
mat, sand flat. (From NOAA Coastal Services Center)
of
in a
Be nthic stud ie s
Imp ro ve und e rsta nd ing o f b e nthic ha b ita ts
Distrib utio n, p a tte rns, p ro c e sse s
Esta b lish me a ning ful re la tio nship s
Esta b lish e nviro nme nta l b a se line s o r a sse ss c ha ng e
Id e ntify ha b ita ts a nd sp e c ie s tha t a re
Imp o rta nt fo o d so urc e s
Ec o no mic a lly va lua b le
Se nsitive / in ne e d o f p ro te c tio n
Goa l of this study: Asse ss pote ntia l c ha ng e s in be nthic
ha bita ts due to the c onstruc tion a nd initia l ope ra tion of
the BI wind turbine s
Hyp o the se s
H0 1 – The re will b e no d iffe re nc e in
b e nthic c o mmunitie s a mo ng turb ine
site s.
H0 2 – The re will b e no d iffe re nc e in
b e nthic c o mmunitie s b e twe e n
c o ntro l site s a nd turb ine site s.
H0 3 – The re is no imp a c t o n d ista nc e
fro m the wind fa rm fo und a tio n
re g a rd ing b e nthic c o mmunitie s o r
o rg a nic e nric hme nt.
Also p ro vid e d a n o p p o rtunity to
c o mp a re p re (O c e a n SAMP) a nd
p o st (this stud y) c o nstruc tio n
d a ta se ts a nd ha b ita t c la ssific a tio ns
Image courtesy of Brian Caccioppoli
Sa mp ling Lo c a tio ns
G ra b Sa mp le Da ta
Se d ime nt g ra in size c la sse s
G ra in size d istrib utio n
Bio lo g y
O rg a nisms living o n o r within
the se d ime nts o f the se a flo o r
18,000+ ind ivid ua ls
139 sp e c ie s
G o -Pro c a me ra
Bro a d e r c o nte xt
http://rqmodules.weebly.com
Ma c ro fa una l Sp e c ie s
Amp hip o d s (C rusta c e a ns)
Po lyc ha e te s (Anne lid s)
Nematodes
Biva lve s (Mo llusks)
Polygordius sp.
Pisione sp.
Lumbrineris sp.
Polycirrus sp.
Unciola irrorata
Flo a t C a me ra Da ta
H0 1: Turb ine Are a s
H0 2: Turb ine vs Re fe re nc e Are a s
Proportion of sediment organic content (%)
H0 3: C ha ng e s with Dista nc e fro m Turb ine
C o mp a riso n o f Ha b ita t C la ssific a tio ns
C o mp a riso n o f Ha b ita t C la ssific a tio ns
O ve ra ll C o nc lusio ns
No c le a r c ha ng e s in b e nthic ha b ita ts o r a sso c ia te d
b io lo g ic a l c o mmunitie s ha ve b e e n d e te c te d d ue to the
p re se nc e o f the wind fa rm a t this p o int in time
C o mp a riso n o f BIWF a nd O c e a n SAMP d a ta furthe r
c o nfirm minima l c ha ng e s ha ve o c c urre d o ve r time
Ha ve e sta b lishe d d e ta ile d b a se line d a ta se t a t the
turb ine site s
Ne xt ite ra tio n o f this stud y is und e rwa y