"Offshore wind farms may do more than boost renewable energy: they might support marine ecosystems, too. That's the takeaway of a new study conducted in China. The researchers found that wind turbines provided support for colonies of oysters and barnacles and that fish species and biomass were more abundant near the turbines than they were in an area without the machines."
"The study counters a frequent criticism of offshore wind farmsthat they are detrimental to marine life and may damage the seabed. China, while being the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, is a global leader in renewable energy build-out, including offshore wind projects. It has the largest wind power capacity of any nation and plans to build the world's largest wind turbine."
Offshore wind turbines in China's northern Yellow Sea provided rough surfaces that created optimal habitat for oysters, barnacles, and other seafloor organisms. A benthic ecosystem developed around the turbines that was absent in a comparable nearby area without machines. Fish species richness and biomass were higher near the turbines, with predatory fish following the increased food supply and enhancing diversity and ecosystem stability. Observations counter frequent criticisms that offshore wind farms inevitably damage marine life or the seabed. China leads global offshore wind capacity and continues to expand projects and turbine development.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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