Research undertaken at existing offshore wind farms and other offshore structures such as, oil and gas platforms show that structures such as these can provide a safe haven for marine life.

Safe haven

It is expected that the Sheringham Offshore Wind Farm will provide a safe haven for all forms of marine wildlife to flourish, for example fish, crabs, lobsters, whelks and sea mammals as well as micro-organisms. The construction and decommissioning phases of the offshore wind farm may have temporary impacts on marine wildlife. Therefore much of our environmental assessment work on marine wildlife focuses on the possible impacts during these phases of activity.

The construction of the wind farm will be designed and executed in consultation with marine stakeholders as to ensure that impacts to marine wildlife are eliminated or risk to such are minimised. This may include avoiding specific times during the year, e.g. fish breeding seasons etc.

Marine wildlife studies

Scira has designed and has implemented offshore surveys, such as fish trawls, benthic grabs, (taking a samples of the sediment on the seabed) and cetacean (any member of the group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises) surveys, in close consultation with CEFAS, (The Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science) and English Nature. We are also closely reviewing the scientific monitoring of other offshore wind farms that have been built in countries like Denmark.

Results of Surveys & Studies

The sediment types and communities found within the footprint of the Sheringham Shoal project are typical of the wider study area and are consistent with the findings of other studies. 

No species of conservation significance are present within the footprint of the construction activities, and the communities, comprising of polychaete worms, crustaceans and bivalve molluscs are considered to be well adapted to living in a dynamic and periodically disturbed environment.