Impacts of offshore wind farm construction on harbour porpoises: acoustic monitoring of echolocation activity using porpoise detectors (T-PODs)

摘要: Offshore wind farming is a new emerging technology in the field of renewable energies. This study investigates potential impact construction one first major, offshore farms (>100 MW) on harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena by means acoustic porpoise detectors (T-PODs) monitoring echolocation activity. The program was established as modified BACI (before, after, control, impact) design, with 6 stations equally distributed between area and nearby reference area. Mean waiting times, defined period 2 consecutive encounters activity, increased from h baseline to 3 d farm during construction. increase times larger than changes observed One specific involving ramming vibration steel sheet piles into seabed, associated an additional significant time 4 41 h, both areas. Assuming that activity related density, analysis shows their habitat-use changed substantially, leaving farm. Acoustic fixed positions provides data high temporal resolution, but low spatial reso- lution, which can be analysed at variety scales, applied other echolocating cetaceans.