Anthropogenic influences of offshore wind farms on juvenile European lobster (Homarus gammarus)

• Main Author: Jones, Natalie
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Marine spatial planning; Co-location; Homarus gammarus; Offshore Wind farm; Noise pollution; Behaviour; European lobster
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10026.2/2498

Anthropogenic noise pollution within the marine environment is an ever increase stressor on organisms. An increase in marine renewable energy will add to the anthropogenic noise pollution. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) objectives published in 2014 outline the use of co-locating marine activities to minimise conflicts within the marine environment. The co-location of fisheries and aquaculture between turbines of offshore wind farm sites is a popular theory the utilisation of available space. The effects of changing parameters within these site change the Homarus gammarus are an economically valuable species that have shown significant population decline in UK waters. The co-location of aquaculture sites inside offshore site pose an opportunity for restocking H.gammarus populations through the release of juvenile hatchery raised lobsters. The effects of noise pollution on juvenile European lobsters (Homarus gammarus) showed that exposure to noise pollution has some effects on individuals depending on the treatment order. There was no affect observed to suggest any attraction to the sound of the noise production or repulsion. Spatial scale was no accounted foe within the experiment and is a factor that could provide significant variation to the behavioral traits exerted by individuals in the presence of offshore wind farm noise pollution.