Journal Library

Biological & Ecological Effects

Performance of three hydrophone flow shields in a tidal channel

Pseudosound caused by turbulent pressure fluctuations in fluid flow past a hydrophone, referred to as flow noise, can mask propagating sounds of interest. Flow shields can mitigate flow noise by reducing non-acoustic pressure fluctuations sensed by a hydrophone.

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Animal Displacement from Marine Energy Development. Mechanisms and Consequences

For marine wave and tidal energy to successfully contribute to global renewable energy goals and climate change mitigation, marine energy projects need to expand beyond small deployments to large-scale arrays.

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Marine energy converters: Potential acoustic effects on fishes and aquatic invertebrates

The placement and operation of marine energy deployments in the ocean have the potential to change flow patterns, decrease wave heights, and/or remove energy from the oceanographic system

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Marine energy converters: Potential acoustic effects on fishes and aquatic invertebrates

The placement and operation of marine energy deployments in the ocean have the potential to change flow patterns, decrease wave heights, and/or remove energy from the oceanographic system.

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'Scaling up' our understanding of environmental effects of marine renewable energy development from single devices to large-scale commercial arrays

Global expansion of marine renewable energy (MRE) technologies is needed to help address the impacts of climate change, to ensure a sustainable transition from carbon-based energy sources, and to meet national energy security needs using locally-generated electricity.

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Modeling the Probability of Overlap Between Marine Fish Distributions and Marine Renewable Energy Infrastructure Using Acoustic Telemetry Data

Understanding the spatiotemporal distributions of migratory marine species at marine renewable energy sites is a crucial step towards assessing the potential impacts of tidal stream turbines and related infrastructure upon these species.

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Towards Estimating Probability of Fish-Turbine Encounter: Using Drifters Equipped with Acoustic Tags to Verify the Efficacy of an Array of Acoustic Receivers

Tidal stream energy is a renewable energy resource that might be developed to offset carbon emissions. A tidal energy demonstration (TED) area has been designated in Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, for testing and installing marine hydrokinetic (MHK) turbines

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Statistical Modelling of Seabird and Cetacean Data: Guidance Document

This document contains a discussion about the issues involved with the data collection process and in particular, the differences in survey methods across platforms (e.g. boat, plane, vantage point). Related platform-based issues about the observation process (and associated imperfect detection) for the data collection, and the associated need to correct observed counts prior to input for analysis are also outlined.

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How Applicable Are Turbulence Assumptions Used in the Tidal Energy Industry

As tidal current and marine hydro-kinetic energy converters start to be deployed in pre commercial arrays, it is critical that the design conditions are properly characterised

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How Applicable Are Turbulence Assumptions Used in the Tidal Energy Industry

As tidal current and marine hydro-kinetic energy converters start to be deployed in pre commercial arrays, it is critical that the design conditions are properly characterised. Turbulence is known to influence fatigue loads and power production, so developers use turbulence models to generate unsteady flows in order to simulate device performance.

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Echofilter: A Deep Learning Segmentation Model Improves the Automation, Standarization, and Timeliness for Post-Processing Echosounder Data in Tidal Energy Streams

Understanding the abundance and distribution of fish in tidal energy streams is important for assessing the risks presented by the introduction of tidal energy devices into the habitat. However, tidal current flows suitable for tidal energy development are often highly turbulent and entrain air into the water, complicating the interpretation of echosounder data.

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A probabilistic methodology for determining collision risk of marine animals with tidal energy tubines

The deployment of infrastructure in the ocean is often slowed due to the potential harm of animals in the area. In the Bay of Fundy, the deployment of tidal farms have been explored for several years, however there is a large population of harbour porpoises.

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Seasonal occurrence of waterbirds in Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2010 to 2012

We determined patterns of seasonal abundance and diversity of seabirds and coastal waterfowl in Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada using quantitative, shore-based point surveys from mid-March to late August and mid-October to December 2010 to 2012

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Imaging Sonar Data Automation Feasibility Study

Multibeam imaging sonars can be used to monitor fish and marine mammal presence and behaviours in the near-field of tidal turbine installations, including evaluating avoidance, evasion, and potential blade strikes. Previous work in the Pathway Program recommended use of the Tritech Gemini 720is, which demonstrated a high level of utility for visually detecting and tracking targets from vessel and bottom-mounted orientations in tidal flows up to approximately 2.5 m/s in Grand Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia.

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Admiralty Inlet Tidal Energy Project Draft Monitoring Plans

Biological/Ecological Effects, Geophysics/Hydrodynamics: Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1, (2009)

Link: http://www.snopud.com/PowerSupply/tidal/aidla.ashx?p=1732


Keywords: Admiralty Inlet

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A Framework for Determining Improved Placement of Current Energy Converters Subject to Environmental Constraints

A modelling framework identifies deployment locations for current-energy-capture devices that maximise power output while minimising potential environmental impacts.

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Developing a Novel Risk-Based Methodology for Multi-Criteria Decision Making in Marine Renewable Energy Applications

Research and development of alternative energy resources such as wave energy has always attracted significant attention due to their abundant and sustainable nature. The uncertainties associated with the marine environment and the significant costs required for implementation of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) require a sound decision making methodology.

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Estimating the probability of fish encountering a marine hydrokinetic device

Strong tidal currents in eastern Maine, USA, make that region attractive for tidal power development. Little is known about the effects of marine hydrokinetic (MHK) devices on fish, yet many fish species use tidal currents for movements. We used empirical data from stationary and mobile hydroacoustic surveys to examine the probability that fish would be at the depth of an MHK device and may therefore encounter it.

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DFO EEMP Letter

This letter outlines Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Fisheries Protection Program comments on the proposed Environmental Effects Monitoring Programs (EEMP) for the latest version of the 2016-2020 for the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy (FORCE) and CSTV received May 20, 2016.

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Athenaeum Tidal Series: Tidal Energy – Where Are We Going?

I first came to Acadia as a Biology professor in 1973. When I arrived, my initial research interests were in the ecology of freshwater lakes and rivers, but a resurgence of interest in Fundy tidal power in 1976 created a great need to organise research to answer the inevitable questions about the effects of tidal power on the Bay of Fundy. This has remained my major research focus ever since.

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Intertidal hydrodynamics and basin-scale sediment dynamics in the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, and implications for change due to tidal power extraction

Minas Basin in the Bay of Fundy has the world’s largest tidal range and exchanges approximately 110 billion tonnes of water twice a day with tidal currents up to 5 ms-1 through Minas Passage, making it an ideal site for tidal power extraction.

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Athenaeum Tidal Series: Tidal Energy – Pro-testing, not Protesting

I am a Nova Scotian – a proud graduate of Acadia University (BScHon, MSc) and a professor in Acadia’s Biology Department since 2005.

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Athenaeum Tidal Series: An Interview with Dr. Paul Stephenson

Dr. Paul Stephenson is a professor in the department of Mathematics and Statistics at Acadia University and the president of the Striped Bass Association.

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Evaluation of Behavior and Survival of Fish Exposed to an Axial-Flow Hydrokinetic Turbine

Previous studies have evaluated fish injury and mortality at hydrokinetic (HK) turbines, but because these studies focused on the impacts of these turbines in situ they were unable to evaluate fish responses to controlled environmental characteristics (e.g., current velocity and light or dark conditions).

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Assessing Marine Mammal Presence in and Near the FORCE Lease Area During Winter and Early Spring - Addressing Baseline Data Gaps and Sensor Performance

Developments to test TISEC devices and harness tidal energy from high flow sites in the Minas Passage require examination of the potential effects of tidal turbines on the environment, including impacts on marine mammals.

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Assessment of Entanglement Risk to Marine Megafauna due to Offshore Renewable Energy Mooring Systems

This paper defines a methodology to compare different offshore renewable energy (ORE) mooring configurations in terms of the risk of entanglement they present to marine megafauna.

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A Self-Contained Subsea Platform for Acoustic Monitoring of the Environment Around Marine Renewable Energy Devices - Field Deployments at Wave and Tidal Energy Sites in Orkney, Scotland

The drive towards sustainable energy has seen rapid development of marine renewable energy devices (MREDs). The NERC/Defra collaboration FLOw, Water column and Benthic Ecology 4-D (FLOWBEC-4D) is investigating the environmental and ecological effects of installing and operating wave and tidal energy devices.

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Integrating Passive Acoustic and Visual Data to Model Spatial Patterns of Occurrence in Coastal Dolphins

Fine-scale information on the occurrence of coastal cetaceans is required to support regulation of offshore energy developments and marine spatial planning. In particular, the EU Habitats Directive requires an understanding of the extent to which animals from Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) use adjacent waters, where survey effort is often sparse.

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Estimation of Acoustic Particle Motion and Source Bearing Using a Drifting Hydrophone Array Near a River Current Turbine to Assess Disturbances to Fish

River hydrokinetic turbines may be an economical alternative to traditional energy sources for small communities on Alaskan rivers. However, there is concern that sound from these turbines could affect sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), an important resource for small, subsistence based communities, commercial fisherman, and recreational anglers.

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ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING, REGULATORY NEEDS & SCIENTIFIC CAPABILITIES: A FACILITATED DISCUSSION BETWEEN SCIENTISTS, REGULATORS AND INDUSTRY

A one‐day workshop was held in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, bringing together regulators, marine energy researchers, and industry representatives, to determine what data are needed and what data can realistically be collected, to assist with siting and permitting (consenting), as well as with effects monitoring, of marine energy devices.

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Multibeam Acoustic Detection of Fish and Water Column Targets at High-Flow Sites

The potential rapid development of tidal energy and accompanying structures in the coastal waters in several regions of Canada, and the world, will require subsurface sampling tools to monitor and evaluate the biological and environmental effects of this new industry.

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Using Hydroacoustics to Understand Fish Presence and Vertical Distribution in a Tidally Dynamic Region Targeted for Energy Extraction

The use of tidal currents by fishes for movements to and from onshore spawning, foraging, and nursery grounds is well documented. However, fishes’ use of the water column in tidal currents frequently exceeding 1.5 m · s-1 is largely unknown.

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Tidal Energy: Strategic Environmental Assessment Update for the Bay of Fundy

In 2007 the Nova Scotia Department of Energy commissioned the Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia (OERA) to complete a Phase I Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to guide the development of tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy.

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Statement of Best Practices for In-Stream Tidal Energy Development & Operation: Standards and Practices for In-Stream Tidal Energy

In 2012, the Nova Scotia Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Province’s Marine Renewable Energy Strategy (MRES)to outline the pathway for the development of tidal energy. Implementing the strategy will create the conditions necessary to support the advancement of both large utility-scale and community-scale tidal projects, and also to broaden strategic research and testing initiatives. Taken together, these actions will help to achieve a 300 megawatt (MW) target of commercial development beyond 2020.

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Simulating blade-strike on fish passing through marine hydrokinetic turbines

The occurrence, frequency, and intensity of blade-strike of fish on an axial-flow marine hydrokinetic turbine was simulated using two modeling approaches: a novel scheme combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with Lagrangian particle tracking, and a conventional kinematic model.

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Spatial and temporal benthic species assemblage responses with a deployed marine tidal energy device: A small scaled study

The addition of man-made structures to the marine environment is known to increase the physical complexity of the seafloor, which can influence benthic species community patterns and habitat structure.

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Marine Mammals Trace Anthropogenic Structures at Sea

On land, species from all trophic levels have adapted to fill vacant niches in environments heavily modified by humans (e.g. [1] ). In the marine environment, ocean infrastructure has led to artificial reefs, resulting in localized increases in fish and crustacean density [2] .

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Maine Tidal Power Initiative: Environmental Impact Protocols for Tidal Power

The objectives of the funded project were to examine tidal power development in Maine from all perspectives: engineering, resource assessment, biological effects, and social dimensions.

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In-situ ecological interactions with a deployed tidal energy device; an observational pilot study

At present, few studies exist that consider the relationship between species interactions and key environmental variables, with the added influence of offshore marine renewable energy technologies. Video footage and ADCP survey techniques were used, to examine the presence of fish and velocity flow rates within the vicinity of a deployed tidal energy device.

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Fish Interactions with a Commercial-Scale Tidal Energy Device in the Natural Environment

Fish are a key part of the marine ecosystem likely to be affected by hydrokinetic tidal turbines, but little is known about their behavior around such obstacles in the natural environment.

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Environmental Risk Evaluation System—an Approach to Ranking Risk of Ocean Energy Development on Coastal and Estuarine Environments

The pressure to develop new and renewable forms of energy to combat climate change, ocean acidification, and energy security has encouraged exploration of sources of power generation from the ocean. One of the major challenges to deploying these devices is discerning the likely effects those devices and associated systems will have on the marine environment.

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Describing and Comparing Variability of Fish and Macrozooplankton Density at Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Sites

Marine hydrokinetic (MHK) operating licenses require biological monitoring to quantify effects of devices on aquatic organisms, but regulations for instrumentation, measurements, and sampling effort have not been standardized.

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Best Practices for Monitoring Environmental Effects of Marine Energy Devices

As the wave and tidal industry plans for initial commercial deployments, significant uncertainties remain about the risks to marine animals and habitats from wave and tidal devices; this uncertainty continues to slow and complicate siting and permitting (consenting) processes.

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Assessment of Strike of Adult Killer Whales by an OpenHydro Tidal Turbine Blade

Biological/Ecological Effects: Carlson, T.J., M. Grear, A. Copping, M. Halvorsen, R. Jepsen, and K. Metzinger (2014)

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Applicability of the “Frame of Reference” approach for environmental monitoring of offshore renewable energy projects

This paper assesses the applicability of the Frame of Reference (FoR) approach for the environmental monitoring of large-scale offshore Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) projects.

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An international assessment of the environmental effects of marine energy development

Power generated from marine energy devices, including those that harvest power from the waves and tides, has the potential to help meet the low-carbon energy needs of many coastal nations.

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Acoustic Monitoring of Beluga Whale Interactions with the Cook Inlet Tidal Energy Project

The Project collected baseline data to characterize pre-deployment patterns of marine mammal distribution, relative abundance, and behavior in ORPC’s proposed deployment area at East Foreland.

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200 kHz Commercial Sonar Systems Generate Lower Frequency Side Lobes Audible to Some Marine Mammals

The spectral properties of pulses transmitted by three commercially available 200 kHz echo sounders were measured to assess the possibility that marine mammals might hear sound energy below the center (carrier) frequency that may be generated by transmitting short rectangular pulses.

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A probabilistic methodology for determining collision risk of marine animals with tidal energy tubines

Biological/Ecological Effects: A. Copping, D. Hasselman, C. Bangley, J. Culina, and M. Carcas (2023/11/11)

Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/11/2151


Commercial development of tidal stream energy is hampered by technical and financial challenges, and impeded by uncertainty about potential environmental effects that drive environmental risk assessments and permitting (consenting) processes. The effect of greatest concern for operational tidal stream energy devices is the potential for marine animals to collide with turbine blades, resulting in injury or death. Due to the turbulent and often turbid waters that frequently characterize tidal turbine sites, there is an absence of empirical evidence about collisions with marine animals. This paucity of observations often leads to risk-averse permitting decisions that further restrict the deployment of tidal energy devices that are needed to collect this evidence. This paper relies on the framework of stressors and receptors that is widely used in marine energy studies and outlines a stepwise probabilistic methodology that applies existing knowledge to further elucidate the risk to marine animals from operational tidal turbines. A case study using striped bass from the Bay of Fundy, Canada, accompanies the methodology, to partially demonstrate its application.


Keywords: risk assessment, tidal stream energy, environmental effects, collision risk, marine renewable energy

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Survival and Behavioral Effects of Exposure to a Hydrokinetic Turbine on Juvenile Atlantic Salmon and Adult American Shad

This paper describes a series of experiments designed to measure the effect of exposure to a full-scale, vertical axis hydrokinetic turbine on downstream migrating juvenile Atlantic salmon (N = 175) and upstream migrating adult American shad (N = 208).

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Environmental Effects of Marine Energy Development around the World

Two experts’ workshops were held in Dublin, Ireland (September 2010 and October 2012) to engage with international researchers, developers, and regulators on the scope and outcomes of the Annex IV project.

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Community & Business Toolkit for Tidal Energy Development

The Community and Business Toolkit for Tidal Energy Development contains a series of modules that describe opportunities and strategies for communities and businesses to become involved in tidal energy development.

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Renewable Ocean Energy and the Marine Environment: Filling Gaps in Knowledge

Biological/Ecological Effects, Geophysics/Hydrodynamics: Copping, A.E., R.S. Butner, L.A. Hanna, and J.M. Whiting (2012)

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Documentary summary of the environmental impact of renewable marine energy

The scientific literature points out that the potential impacts of this type of activity will be different depending on the various phases of construction, operation and dismantling.

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Birds and wave & tidal stream energy: an ecological review

Biological/Ecological Effects: McCluskie, A.E., R.H.W. Langston & N.I. Wilkinson (2012)

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Appropriateness of Existing Monitoring Studies for the Fundy Tidal Energy Project and Considerations for Monitoring Commercial Scale Scenarios

The Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) Tidal Energy Project, located near Black Rock in the Minas Passage of the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, is a research and development demonstration site dedicated to testing tidal power technologies, in particular Tidal In-stream Energy Conversion (TISEC) devices.

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A Framework for Environmental Risk Assessment and Decision-Making for Tidal Energy Development in Canada

In-stream tidal energy initiatives are rapidly developing in Nova Scotia, but there remains a high degree of uncertainty regarding the nature and extent (in space and time) of environmental implications of energy harvesting activities.

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Aquatic Animal Interaction with Marine and Hydrokinetic Devices Webinar Presentations

Evaluation of Fish Injury and Mortality Associated with Hydrokinetic Turbines (Steve Amaral, Ted Castro-Santos, and Paul Jacobson, Electric Power Research Institute)

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SeaGen Environmental Monitoring Programme Final Report

Biological/Ecological Effects, Geophysics/Hydrodynamics: Royal Haskonings (2011)

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Pathways of Effects for Offshore Renewable Energy in Canada

This report presents work related to the first stage: development of PoE models, that are conceptual representations of predicted relationships between human activities and their associated sub-activities - the pressures - and the environmental effects or impacts that they may have on specific ecological endpoints.

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Effects of Tidal Turbine Noise on Fish Hearing and Tissues

Draft Final Report Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy and Snohomish Public Utility District #1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Sequim, WA

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Effects of EMF’s from Undersea Power Cables on Elasmobranchs and Other Marine Species – Final Report

Anthropogenic electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have been introduced into the marine environment around the world and from a wide variety of sources for well over a century. Despite this, little is known about potential ecological impacts from EMFs. For decades, power transmission cables have been installed across bays and river mouths, and connecting near-shore islands to the mainland, with little consideration of possible effects to marine species from EMFs.

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An Evaluation of Acoustic Seabed Classification Techniques for Marine Biotope Monitoring over Broad-scales (>1 km2) and Meso-scales (10 m2e1 km2)

Biological/Ecological Effects, Geophysics/Hydrodynamics: van Rein, H., C.J. Brown, R. Quinn , J. Breen, and D. Schoeman (2011)

Download: 28.pdf


Keywords: sonar, benthic habitat, mapping, monitoring techniques

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Effects of Pile-Driving Noise on the Behaviour of Marine Fish

Biological/Ecological Effects: Mueller-Blenkle, C., P.K. McGregor, A.B. Gill, M.H. Andersson, J. Metcalfe, V. Bendall, P. Sigray, D.T. Wood, and F. Thomsen (2010)

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Collision Risk of Fish with Wave and Tidal Devices

Commissioned by RPS Group plc on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government

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An Initial Assessment of Fish Presence and Vertical Distribution at Two Sites (Control and Proposed Tidal Power Site) in Cobscook Bay

Biological/Ecological Effects: Zydlewski, G., J. McCleave, H. Viehman, and K. Harmon (2010)

unpublished Report prepared for Ocean Renewable Power Company

Please contact FERN directly to acquire a copy of this document.


Keywords: fish, Cobscook Bay

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Environmental Assessment Fundy Tidal Energy Demonstration Facility

he FORCE project was assessed under a joint federal – provincial Environmental Assessment (EA) review process, which considered multiple subsea turbine generators, subsea cables connecting the turbines to land-based infrastructure, an onshore transformer substation, and power lines connecting to the local power distribution system.

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A Review of Sublittoral Monitoring Methods in Temperate Waters: A Focus on Scale

Biological/Ecological Effects: Van Rein,H.B., C.J. Brown and R. Quinn (2009)

International Journal of the Society for Underwater Technology 28(3): 1-15

Please contact FERN directly to acquire a copy of this document.


Keywords: benthic habitat, monitoring techniques

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