Ecological Research. alpha ventus. Windfarm. at the Offshore. i Springer. Challenges, Results and Perspectives

Transcription

1 Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety Ecological Research at the Offshore Windfarm alpha ventus Challenges, Results and Perspectives i Springer

2 Table of Contents I Introduction 1 Current situation of offshore development in Germany and environmentally sound expansion of offshore wind energy 3 Simone van Leusen 1.1 Introduction Legal basis of offshore windfarm approval Marine Facilities Ordinance Approval process Incidental Provisions 8 Literature 9 2 The Spatial Offshore Grid Plan for the German Exclusive Economic Zone 11 Annika Koch 2.1 Legal mandate Accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment Results of the Environmental Report 14 Literature 14 3 The alpha ventus offshore test site 15 Wilfried Hube 3.1 Introduction Offshore challenges Operation of the offshore windfarm The control centre in Norden Offshore power transmission Retrospective: The building period Outlook: alpha ventus as a reference project 21 4 The RAVE research initiative: A successful collaborative research, development and demonstration programme 25 Eva Otto, Michael Durstewitz, Bernhard Lange 4.1 Introduction Actors and organisation Measurements and data Research focus Achievements 29 Literature 29 5 Accompanying ecological research at alpha ventus: The StUKplus research project 31 Anika Beiersdorf 5.1 Environmentally compatible expansion of offshore wind energy Identifying environmental risks at the earliest possible stage 34

3 X Table of Contents 5.3 Learning from the past to optimise future monitoring 37 Literature 37 6 Conservation features: Sensitive species and habitats in the German Exclusive Economic Zone 39 Jochen Krause 6.1 Introduction Status of species and habitats of the North Sea Impact of windfarms on species and habitats The role of Marine Protected Areas Conclusion 43 Literature 43 7 Challenges, results and perspectives: An interview with Christian Dahlke II Main section 8 Oceanographic and geological research at alpha ventus: Instruments for predicting environmental conditions and interactions 53 Bettina Kiihn & Anja Schneehorst 8.1 Introduction The RAVE Service Project Environmental conditions in the North Sea Methods Study design: Oceanography Study design: Geology Results and discussion Currents Scouring effects Perspectives Acknowledgements 64 Literature 65 9 Rapid increase of benthic structural and functional diversity at the alpha ventus offshore test site 67 Lars Gutow, Katharina Teschke, Andreas Schmidt, Jennifer Dannheim, Roland Krone, Manuela Gusky 9.1 Introduction Methods Study design Data collection Data analysis Results and discussion Epifauna Infauna Biofouling on the foundation structures 77

4 Table of Contents XI Mobile demersal megafauna Perspectives Acknowledgements 80 Literature Effects of the alpha ventus offshore test site on pelagic fish 83 Soren Kragefsky 10.1 Introduction Possible impacts Methods Results and discussion Perspectives 93 Literature Effects of the alpha ventus offshore test site on distribution patterns, behaviour and flight heights of seabirds 95 Bettina Mendel, Jana Kotzerka, Julia Sommerfeld, Henriette Schwemmer, Nicole Sonntag, Stefan Garthe 11.1 Introduction Key species Methods Survey design Data analysis Results Distribution patterns Changes in the abundance of lesser black-backed gulls and common guillemots Behavioural observations Flight heights Discussion Perspectives Acknowledgements 108 Literature Of birds, blades and barriers*. Detecting and analysing mass migration events at alpha ventus 111 Reinhold Hill, Katrin Hill, RalfAumuller, Axel Schulz, Tobias Dittmann, Christoph Kulemeyer, Timothy Coppack 12.1 Introduction Birds, blades and barriers Bird migration over the German Bight: Origin, phenology and species diversity Methods Methodological challenges Results and discussions Measuring long-term patterns with radar and optical systems 'Ground-proofing'through automatic detection of species-specific bird calls Detecting behavioural responses with fixed pencil beam radar Measuring bird movements through the rotor-swept zone with VARS Species composition 125

5 XII Table of Contents Estimating collision risks in the rotor-swept zone A case of mass accumulation of night-migrating birds Windfarm-induced deviations in route under daylight conditions Perspectives 129 Literature Marine mammals and windfarms: Effects of alpha ventus on harbour porpoises 133 Michael Ddhne, Verena Peschko, Anita Gilles, Klaus Lucke, Sven Adler, Katrin Ronnenberg, Ursula Siebert 13.1 Introduction Key Species Possible effects of windfarm construction Possible effects of windfarm operation Methods Assessing presence, absence and abundance Aerial line transect surveys Static acoustic monitoring (SAM) Results Construction effects on harbour porpoises Operation effects on harbour porpoises Effects from the wind turbines during operation Discussion Perspectives Acknowledgments 146 Literature Marine habitat modelling for harbour porpoises in the German Bight 151 Henrik Skov, Stefan Heinanen, Dennis ArreborgHansen, Florian Ladage, Bastian Schlenz, Ramunas lydelis, Frank Thomsen 14.1 Introduction Methods Survey data Habitat modelling Hydrodynamic model Modelling of underwater noise Results Discussion Perspectives 168 Literature Underwater construction and operational noise at alpha ventus 171 Klaus Betke 15.1 Introduction Impact of underwater noise on marine mammals Sound, sound levels and sound spectra Methods Study design and layout: Construction phase 174

6 Table of Contents XIII Study design and layout: Operation phase Results and discussion Construction phase Operation phase Perspectives Acknowledgements 179 Literature Noise mitigation systems and low-noise installation technologies 181 Tobias Verfufi 16.1 Introduction Noise mitigation measures Primary mitigation Secondary mitigation measures 182 measures Low-noise foundation installation technologies Vibratory piling Offshore foundation drilling (OFD) Suction buckets / suction cans Perspectives 189 Literature Cumulative impacts of offshore windfarms 193 Hans-Peter Damian & Thomas Merck 17.1 Introduction Seabirds Migrating birds Underwater noise and marine mammals 195 Literature 197 Backmatter 199 Links 200