ECOFlow: Ecological effects of floating offshore wind

Status: Active

Start Date: November 2024

Lead Organisation: Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC)

The ECOFlow arch programme research programme focuses on filling gaps in understanding how marine ecosystems will respond to the planned expansion of floating offshore wind (FLOW) in UK waters in the next decade. The programme will provide robust evidence, new approaches and tools to address critical evidence needs of the government and the industry that are required to inform policy and decision making. It will also establish innovative methods of underwater sampling to inform and better understand the sustainable management of FLOW. The programme comprises two projects – EQUIFy and Frontline. EQUIFy is seeking to understand the potential impacts of FLOW on lower trophic levels and how this influences higher trophic levels (fish, birds and marine mammals) at a regional level and over a long period of time. Frontline is focused on understanding the physical and chemical changes introduced by FLOW and the effects on marine predators in terms of their distribution as well as the potential changes for fishery distribution.