In the race for renewables, scientists and researchers must keep operations as sustainable as the energy itself. Offshore wind is no exception; as the industry sees increasing demand and quick growth, establishing
In the race for renewables, scientists and researchers must keep operations as sustainable as the energy itself. Offshore wind is no exception; as the industry sees increasing demand and quick growth, establishing environmentally responsible operations and monitoring early on are key for long-lasting systems that are not destructive to local biodiversity.
The SeaMe project (Sustainable Ecosystem Approach in Monitoring the Marine Environment), set to run from 2024 to 2026 at an RWE AG wind farm in Kaskasi, Germany, is trying to do just that. With innovative technologies like autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), researchers can conduct comprehensive ecosystem monitoring that is less costly, invasive and CO2-intensive. Findings will highlight the overlap between offshore wind farms and the local ecosystem by collecting physical and biological data. Parameters like temperature, salinity and oxygen may identify changes in the distribution and abundance of species, stated a press release from RWE. This includes critical contributors like phyto and zooplankton, which play fundamental roles in the food chain but are often overlooked.
The demands of the SeaMe project require multiple partners with varied expertise, each covering a special task within the wind farm’s ecosystem, explained Marius Wirtz, Dipl.-Ing. (FH), Engineer at the German Research Center for
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