Coordinateurs du projet
Context
After a certain period of immersion, any structure is bound to be colonized by marine fauna and flora. This biocolonization causes both a change in the communities present on the site and a change in the hydrodynamics of the colonized structure. The latter effect is generally harmful, particularly in the field of floating wind power, where this change is very significant, even predominant, on ropes and/or anchor chains.
The objective of the MOORREEF project is to analyze in detail the colonization of mooring lines at the scale of a wind farm, in the presence of algae, in order to study the ability of an artificial reef to reduce biofouling by predators present in or attracted to the reef. This reef may have several other uses, such as promoting biodiversity in wind farms and measuring the effect of such reefs on marine communities (biocolonization, fish, etc.). As part of the project, a new, easy-to-use, reliable, and reproducible monitoring protocol incorporating algae quantification will be developed.
The reef we propose consists of a stack of pipes of different diameters and specific arrangements that provide shelter and observation for species of particular interest to the fishing industry. This reef, on a scale of 1:10, will be adaptable to mooring buoys used to weigh down the anchor lines of floating wind turbines. It also features an element that reduces the impact of the lines on the seabed
Assess the impact of an artificial reef on biodiversity and biocolonization near floating wind turbine moorings.
Scientific breakthroughs and innovation
First real-world application of artificial reefs in offshore wind farms
Standardized, reproducible structure that is easy to monitor and adaptable to different wind farms
Monitoring of broad-spectrum communities including vagile fauna and macroalgae
The MOORREEF project stands out in several innovative ways. In particular, to our knowledge, it is the first application of artificial reefs in an offshore wind farm. In addition, for this project, the layout and design of the reef are adapted to wind turbine anchors and moorings, regardless of their shape (i.e., the reef is specially designed for this use). Another innovation in this field is that the structure can be installed/submerged during the construction of the farm, but can also be installed on farms that have already been built. The monitoring station (reef) allows pelagic and benthic communities to be monitored, as well as vagile (mobile) and sessile (fixed) communities. The structure and its measuring devices are standardized, easy to monitor, and above all, reproducible. All these elements provide a comprehensive view of the structure’s effect on communities and the environment, and the protocols put in place for monitoring cover a broader spectrum than most projects already completed. The innovative design protects the seabed from chain friction. Finally, this is the first time that the self-cleaning effect has been quantified.
Expected technical and economic impact
Standardized, reproducible structure that is easy to monitor and adaptable to different wind farms.
Demonstrator
1:10 scale demonstrator of artificial reef.
Perspectives
First project to implement eco-compensatory measures and study co-activity in offshore wind farms.