Coordinateurs du projet
Context
The submerged structures supporting offshore wind turbines are similar to artificial reefs that promote the establishment of sessile fauna and flora in an environment where they were initially scarce. Most jellyfish have a sessile phase (polyp) that attaches itself to rocky or reef habitats, from which the pelagic phase develops. In the Bay of Biscay, large jellyfish are mainly found, which can have a significant impact on fishing by preying on fish larvae and juveniles, competing with fish for planktonic resources, and disrupting fishing activity when they are present in large numbers, e.g., by clogging and breaking nets. The installation of submerged structures for offshore wind farms in Loire-Atlantique, by creating potential habitat for the fixed phases of jellyfish, could therefore promote their development on the Loire coast and affect the coastal ecosystem and fishing activity.
Scientific breakthroughs and innovation
- Innovative combination of acoustics (Ec(h)osonde project) and imaging (ImageSonde project) to monitor the impact of MREs on micronectonic and gelatinous organisms (fish larvae and jellyfish)
- Data collection to study interactions between MRE and fishingAutomation of imaging data processing using powerful machine learning tools
Expected technical and economic impact
Development of an integrated method for monitoring the impacts of marine renewable energy (MRE) on micronectonic and gelatinous organisms (fish larvae and jellyfish) by combining acoustics (Ec(h)osonde project) and imaging (ImageSonde project)
Proof of concept for a monitoring method that is technically robust, scientifically effective, and economically competitive thanks to the partial automation of the processing of collected data
Perspectives
The use of imaging in the laboratory to calibrate acoustics, in the context of a wired underwater observatory, opens up the possibility of deploying imaging instruments on the wired site, for fully integrated in-situ coupling between imaging and acoustics.
Imaging for the analysis of plankton, gelatinous macroplankton, and micronecton is a technology that has been validated by the scientific community. ImageSonde will be an excellent demonstrator for validating the transfer of imaging applications to ecological monitoring in the industrial context of MRE.