A brand new report validates the usage of fish environmental DNA (eDNA) survey strategies, declaring that they may remodel the way in which fish ecology surveys are carried out for offshore wind farm developments. It has been produced by renewable power consultancy and repair supplier, Pure Energy, together with undertaking companions, EDF Renewables and environmental DNA and nature intelligence knowledgeable, NatureMetrics.
Michelle Elliott, the Principal Environmental Marketing consultant main the undertaking on behalf of Pure Energy, mentioned: “As we quickly transition to renewable power sources to assist sort out local weather change, provide chain sources are below stress so there’s by no means been a larger want for brand new expertise and practices that assist to maximise sources.
The group mentioned the examine demonstrates that eDNA-based surveys supply a market-ready answer to optimise consenting part surveys of offshore wind website improvement, in addition to ongoing monitoring and focused mitigation methods. Changing conventional survey strategies for fish communities round offshore wind farms with eDNA sampling will supply enormous advantages to the trade by offering extra environment friendly and scalable consenting and website survey options which may scale back threat of delays to the event of offshore wind farms, while decreasing prices for builders and operators, in the end decreasing the price of general power manufacturing.
Regulator and stakeholder acceptance of eDNA strategies to be used in offshore baseline setting and monitoring will now be a key step in direction of accelerating and bettering environmental monitoring for future offshore wind improvement.”
The aim of the analysis was to offer an proof base for the potential acceptance of eDNA-based strategies as a sound different to standard fish trawl surveys, so each strategies have been carried out in parallel. Seasonal co-located trawls and eDNA sampling have been carried out at 4 areas across the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator, with eDNA sampling at two extra areas inside the turbine array, which was not doable to survey by trawl sampling. Samples have been analysed for environmental DNA utilizing fish, vertebrate (fish, mammals and birds) and invertebrate assays. This report focuses on fish ecology and marine mammal prevalence, whereas the investigation into the invertebrate communities is ongoing and shall be reported on in the end.
The eDNA methodology; which is a non-invasive sampling method that makes use of seawater samples that may be collected from a variety of vessels, to ship auditable, sturdy information; constantly detected a larger variety of species than trawl information (57 species detected by eDNA, together with eel (Anguilla anguilla), noticed dragonet (Callionymus lyra), sea snails (Liparis liparis and Liparis Monatgui), crystal goby (Crystallogobius linearis) and sea scorpion (Taurulus bubalis), in comparison with 26 species in trawls). Moreover, the analysis signifies that eDNA strategies not solely choose up particular person species developments however may also be used to calculate ecological variety metrics and monitor seasonal, spatial, and temporal variations in group composition.
Essential to this method is NatureMetrics’ pioneering use of eDNA to determine fish species all over the world. Gathering and filtering a number of litres of seawater concentrates the DNA left behind in species’ waste merchandise, comparable to pores and skin and tissue cells, which may then be processed within the NatureMetrics lab to determine all of the completely different fish species current. It means there isn’t a have to bodily catch and even see the fish to know they’re there. Samples could be collected by anybody and from a variety of vessels, which suggests the duty could be carried out throughout different website investigation surveys decreasing prices, time, and useful resource necessities.
Krystle Robson, Head of Offshore at NatureMetrics, mentioned: “Because the race for web zero ramps up, inexperienced infrastructure tasks want new instruments to assist velocity up planning, whereas additionally making certain sturdy safety for biodiversity. This undertaking demonstrates the viability and scalability of eDNA as an answer to attain each these goals.”
In assist of the initiative, EDF Renewables supplied entry to the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator (BOD) for the analysis undertaking to happen.
Ryanne Burges, Director of Offshore Wind and Eire at EDF Renewables UK, mentioned: ” EDF Renewables is extremely proud to be part of this pioneering undertaking. Blyth Offshore wind farm has been a flagship of innovation for the trade, so it was the right location to pilot the usage of environmental DNA fish surveys. By accumulating and analysing DNA shed by fish into the water, this methodology eliminates the necessity for extra invasive trawling surveys, higher defending marine ecosystems.
“The usage of environmental DNA in fish ecology additionally has the potential for enormous advantages to the broader trade by offering a safer, extra environment friendly, inexpensive and scalable answer which might velocity up improvement and in the end scale back the price of general power manufacturing. We’re excited to see this technique rolled out throughout our future pipeline and urge adoption of the method instead of conventional trawl surveys by the trade.”
The 18-month undertaking, which commenced in March 2022, acquired an innovation grant of £33, 918, from the Offshore Wind Progress Partnership (OWGP). The grant covers 50% of the entire undertaking value with Pure Energy and NatureMetrics offering important in-kind contributions and EDF Renewables contributing additional financial funding.
The report could be downloaded right here www.naturalpower.com/uk/perception/assessing-fish-ecology-around-owfs-using-edna
