Harbour porpoises exhibit localized evasion of a tidal turbine

Funding: Scottish Government (Grant Number(s): Marine Mammal Scientific Support Program MMSS/002/); Natural Environment Research Council (Grant Number(s): NE/R014639/1, NE/R015007/1). 1. Tidal energy generators have the potential to injure or kill marine animals, including small cetaceans, through c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Main Authors: Gillespie, Douglas Michael, Palmer, Laura Eve, MacAulay, Jamie Donald John, Sparling, Carol Elizabeth, Hastie, Gordon Drummond
Other Authors: NERC, University of St Andrews. School of Biology, University of St Andrews. Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews. Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews. Marine Alliance for Science & Technology Scotland, University of St Andrews. Bioacoustics group, University of St Andrews. Sound Tags Group
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2021
Subjects:
Behaviour
Coastal
Distribution
Environmental impact assessment
Mammals
Renewable energy
QL Zoology
VM Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering
DAS
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 14 - Life Below Water
QL
VM
Harbour porpoise
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10023/23494
https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3660
Description
Summary:Funding: Scottish Government (Grant Number(s): Marine Mammal Scientific Support Program MMSS/002/); Natural Environment Research Council (Grant Number(s): NE/R014639/1, NE/R015007/1). 1. Tidal energy generators have the potential to injure or kill marine animals, including small cetaceans, through collisions with moving turbine parts. Information on the fine scale behaviour of animals close to operational turbines is required to inform regulators of the likely impact of these new technologies. 2. Harbour porpoise movements were monitored in three dimensions around a tidal turbine for 451 days between October 2017 and April 2019 with a 12-channel hydrophone array. 3. Echolocation clicks from 344 porpoise events were localized close to the turbine. The data show that porpoises effectively avoid the turbine rotors, with only a single animal clearly passing through the rotor swept area while the rotors were stationary, and none passing through while rotating. 4. The results indicate that the risk of collisions between the tidal turbine and porpoises is low; this has important implications for the potential effects and the sustainable development of the tidal energy industry. Peer reviewed

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