Project description

Man made structures generate a unique habitat for many marine organisms which can have significant effects for associated fauna and flora. Communities of marine organisms typical of artificial habitats differ from natural occurring communities due to a number of features characteristic of artificial structures. Many of the unique futures of marine renewable energy devices have been documented as agents capable of shaping associated communities, for example, surface type (metal), orientation (vertical), relief (position in water column), differences in local larvae pool, to name a few. In addition to these agents, there is one very significant common agent shaping these marine communities specific to marine renewable energy generation and that is greatly elevated water flow. The selection of high energy sites for the production of marine energy most defiantly shapes the communities of marine flora and fauna which can inhabit these artificial structures and these communities are poorly understood.

In order to understand the benefits (e.g. artificial habitat creation) and negatives (e.g. non-native species facilitation) of artificial structures in high energy environments we need to firstly examine what types of communities are found on these structures.

Problem
The introduction and establishment of species outside their natural range has wide scale impacts on marine ecology and ecosystem functioning. The creation of new habitats through the construction of off-shore marine renewable energy structures may increase the spread of non-native species.

• By providing a refuge in an areas devoid of hard substrate, facilitating the range expansion of non-native species via the creation of corridors linking habitats previously unconnected.
• Through acting as a source population of non-native species, providing strong propagule pressure to surrounding natural habitats.

Research objectives

1. To better understand the effects of flow on community composition on off-shore metallic structures
2. To better understand the role that facilitation plays in non-native species propagation (with particular emphasis on stressful environments).

Supervisors

Dr Michele Stanley, SAMS

Dr Elizabeth Cook, SAMS

Dr John Day, SAMS

Project funder

SuperGen

University

University of the Highlands and Islands