Harbour porpoises exhibit localized evasion of a tidal turbine

Tidal energy generators have the potential to injure or kill marine animals, including small cetaceans, through collisions with moving turbine parts. Information on the fine scale behaviour of animals close to operational turbines is required to inform regulators of the likely impact of these new te...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aquatic conservation 2021-09, Vol.31 (9), p.2459-2468
Main Authors: Gillespie, Douglas, Palmer, Laura, Macaulay, Jamie, Sparling, Carol, Hastie, Gordon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animals
Aquatic mammals
behaviour
Cetacea
coastal
Collisions
Dimensions
distribution
Dolphins & porpoises
Echolocation
environmental impact assessment
Harbors
Harbours
Hydrophones
mammals, renewable energy
Marine animals
Marine mammals
Marine organisms
New technology
Porpoises
Rotors
Sustainable development
Swept area
Tidal energy
Tidal power
Turbine engines
Turbines
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Summary:Tidal energy generators have the potential to injure or kill marine animals, including small cetaceans, through collisions with moving turbine parts. Information on the fine scale behaviour of animals close to operational turbines is required to inform regulators of the likely impact of these new technologies. Harbour porpoise movements were monitored in three dimensions around a tidal turbine for 451 days between October 2017 and April 2019 with a 12‐channel hydrophone array. Echolocation clicks from 344 porpoise events were localized close to the turbine. The data show that porpoises effectively avoid the turbine rotors, with only a single animal clearly passing through the rotor swept area while the rotors were stationary, and none passing through while rotating. The results indicate that the risk of collisions between the tidal turbine and porpoises is low; this has important implications for the potential effects and the sustainable development of the tidal energy industry.
ISSN:1052-7613
1099-0755
DOI:10.1002/aqc.3660