Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability

Nienke van Geel; Steven Benjamins; Brett Marmo; Jacob Nabe-Nielsen; Anja Wittich; Denise Risch; Darren Jameson; Victoria L. G. Todd; Ian Todd; Sophie Cox; Ben Wilson

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_14-1

Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability

Nienke van Geel, Steven Benjamins, Brett Marmo, Jacob Nabe-Nielsen, Anja Wittich, Denise Risch, Darren Jameson, Victoria L. G. Todd, Ian Todd, Sophie Cox, Ben Wilson

SAMS UHI

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

To combat impacts of climate change, offshore wind farm construction is accelerating globally. Accompanying increases in construction activity have raised concerns about associated noise impacts on acoustically sensitive species, including harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). This study investigated spatial impacts from the construction of ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia ONE (EA1) offshore wind farm (310 pin-piles), located off southeast England, on porpoises belonging to the North Sea Management Unit. Data on porpoise presence and received noise levels were collected from up to 12 monitoring stations around EA1 before, during, and after construction from March 2018 to June 2019, using automated click detectors (C-PODs) and full bandwidth acoustic recorders. Acoustic recordings were used to calibrate a sound propagation model to assess porpoise responses to received noise levels. Analysis of porpoise detection data in the presence and absence of pin-piling revealed negative effects of piling, with an overall decrease in porpoise detection probability out to 14.0 km from piling activity. The predicted frequency-weighted received level at this distance was 103.0 dB re 1 μPa2s SEL. These observations inform our current knowledge of pin-piling-related impacts on harbour porpoises at the spatial scale of the individual wind farm, which is crucial to develop effective mitigation strategies

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life:
Subtitle of host publication	Principles and Practical Considerations
Editors	Arthur N. Popper, Joseph Sisneros, Anthony D. Hawkins, Frank Thomsen
Publisher	Springer
Number of pages	24
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-10417-6
ISBN (Print)	978-3-031-10417-6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_14-1
Publication status	Published - 9 Jun 2023

Keywords

Phocoena phocoena
Pin-piling
Disturbance
Displacement
Effective deterrence range
Passive acoustic monitoring
Offshore wind energy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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van Geel, N., Benjamins, S., Marmo, B., Nabe-Nielsen, J., Wittich, A., Risch, D., Jameson, D., Todd, V. L. G., Todd, I., Cox, S., & Wilson, B. (2023). Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability. In A. N. Popper, J. Sisneros, A. D. Hawkins, & F. Thomsen (Eds.), The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life: : Principles and Practical Considerations Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_14-1

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title = "Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability",

abstract = "To combat impacts of climate change, offshore wind farm construction is accelerating globally. Accompanying increases in construction activity have raised concerns about associated noise impacts on acoustically sensitive species, including harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). This study investigated spatial impacts from the construction of ScottishPower Renewables{\textquoteright} East Anglia ONE (EA1) offshore wind farm (310 pin-piles), located off southeast England, on porpoises belonging to the North Sea Management Unit. Data on porpoise presence and received noise levels were collected from up to 12 monitoring stations around EA1 before, during, and after construction from March 2018 to June 2019, using automated click detectors (C-PODs) and full bandwidth acoustic recorders. Acoustic recordings were used to calibrate a sound propagation model to assess porpoise responses to received noise levels. Analysis of porpoise detection data in the presence and absence of pin-piling revealed negative effects of piling, with an overall decrease in porpoise detection probability out to 14.0 km from piling activity. The predicted frequency-weighted received level at this distance was 103.0 dB re 1 μPa2s SEL. These observations inform our current knowledge of pin-piling-related impacts on harbour porpoises at the spatial scale of the individual wind farm, which is crucial to develop effective mitigation strategies",

keywords = "Phocoena phocoena, Pin-piling, Disturbance, Displacement, Effective deterrence range, Passive acoustic monitoring, Offshore wind energy",

author = "{van Geel}, Nienke and Steven Benjamins and Brett Marmo and Jacob Nabe-Nielsen and Anja Wittich and Denise Risch and Darren Jameson and Todd, {Victoria L. G.} and Ian Todd and Sophie Cox and Ben Wilson",

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language = "English",

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van Geel, N , Benjamins, S, Marmo, B, Nabe-Nielsen, J, Wittich, A, Risch, D, Jameson, D, Todd, VLG, Todd, I, Cox, S & Wilson, B 2023, Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability. in AN Popper, J Sisneros, AD Hawkins & F Thomsen (eds), The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life: : Principles and Practical Considerations. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_14-1

Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability. / van Geel, Nienke ; Benjamins, Steven; Marmo, Brett et al.
The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life: : Principles and Practical Considerations. ed. / Arthur N. Popper; Joseph Sisneros; Anthony D. Hawkins; Frank Thomsen. Springer, 2023.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

TY - CHAP

T1 - Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability

AU - van Geel, Nienke

AU - Benjamins, Steven

AU - Marmo, Brett

AU - Nabe-Nielsen, Jacob

AU - Wittich, Anja

AU - Risch, Denise

AU - Jameson, Darren

AU - Todd, Victoria L. G.

AU - Todd, Ian

AU - Cox, Sophie

AU - Wilson, Ben

PY - 2023/6/9

Y1 - 2023/6/9

N2 - To combat impacts of climate change, offshore wind farm construction is accelerating globally. Accompanying increases in construction activity have raised concerns about associated noise impacts on acoustically sensitive species, including harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). This study investigated spatial impacts from the construction of ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia ONE (EA1) offshore wind farm (310 pin-piles), located off southeast England, on porpoises belonging to the North Sea Management Unit. Data on porpoise presence and received noise levels were collected from up to 12 monitoring stations around EA1 before, during, and after construction from March 2018 to June 2019, using automated click detectors (C-PODs) and full bandwidth acoustic recorders. Acoustic recordings were used to calibrate a sound propagation model to assess porpoise responses to received noise levels. Analysis of porpoise detection data in the presence and absence of pin-piling revealed negative effects of piling, with an overall decrease in porpoise detection probability out to 14.0 km from piling activity. The predicted frequency-weighted received level at this distance was 103.0 dB re 1 μPa2s SEL. These observations inform our current knowledge of pin-piling-related impacts on harbour porpoises at the spatial scale of the individual wind farm, which is crucial to develop effective mitigation strategies

AB - To combat impacts of climate change, offshore wind farm construction is accelerating globally. Accompanying increases in construction activity have raised concerns about associated noise impacts on acoustically sensitive species, including harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). This study investigated spatial impacts from the construction of ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia ONE (EA1) offshore wind farm (310 pin-piles), located off southeast England, on porpoises belonging to the North Sea Management Unit. Data on porpoise presence and received noise levels were collected from up to 12 monitoring stations around EA1 before, during, and after construction from March 2018 to June 2019, using automated click detectors (C-PODs) and full bandwidth acoustic recorders. Acoustic recordings were used to calibrate a sound propagation model to assess porpoise responses to received noise levels. Analysis of porpoise detection data in the presence and absence of pin-piling revealed negative effects of piling, with an overall decrease in porpoise detection probability out to 14.0 km from piling activity. The predicted frequency-weighted received level at this distance was 103.0 dB re 1 μPa2s SEL. These observations inform our current knowledge of pin-piling-related impacts on harbour porpoises at the spatial scale of the individual wind farm, which is crucial to develop effective mitigation strategies

KW - Phocoena phocoena

KW - Pin-piling

KW - Disturbance

KW - Displacement

KW - Effective deterrence range

KW - Passive acoustic monitoring

KW - Offshore wind energy

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_14-1

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_14-1

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-3-031-10417-6

BT - The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life:

A2 - Popper, Arthur N.

A2 - Sisneros, Joseph

A2 - Hawkins, Anthony D.

A2 - Thomsen, Frank

PB - Springer

ER -

Spatial impact of wind farm construction on harbour porpoise detectability

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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