Measuring sensitivity of two OSPAR indicators for a coastal food web model under offshore wind farm construction

A combination of modelling tools was applied to simulate the impacts of the future Courseulles-sur-mer offshore wind farm (OWF) construction (Bay of Seine, English Channel) on the ecosystem structure and functioning. To do so, food-web models of the ecosystem under three scenarios were constructed to investigate the effect caused by the OWF of added substrate (reef effect), fishing restriction (reserve effect), and their combined effect. Further, Ecological Network Analysis indices and Mean Trophic Level were derived to investigate their suitability for detecting changes in the ecosystem state. Our analysis suggests changes in the ecosystem structure and functioning after the OWF construction, the ecosystem maturity was predicted to increase, but no alterations in its overall resilience capacity.

Keyword(s)

Ecopath with Ecosim, Ecological Network Analysis, Reef effect, Reserve effect, Mean Trophic Level, Marine renewable energy

Full Text

FilePagesSizeAccess
Publisher's official version
111 Mo
Author's final draft
321 Mo
How to cite
Raoux Aurore, Lassalle Géraldine, Pezy Jean-Philippe, Tecchio Samuele, Safi Georges, Ernande Bruno, Mazé Camille, Le Loc'h François, Lequesne Justine, Girardin Valérie, Dauvin Jean-Claude, Niquil Nathalie (2019). Measuring sensitivity of two OSPAR indicators for a coastal food web model under offshore wind farm construction. Ecological Indicators. 96 (Part 1). 728-738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.07.014, https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00450/56135/

Copy this text