Marine mammals

The Monitoring programme studies the impact of the wind farm on sea mammals. The studies focus on numbers present, density and behaviour in the wind farm area. One of the methods for investigating this factor involves tagging seals with transmitters which enable registration of the time and place of received signals. The programme also studies their underwater hearing sensitivity.

Baseline results
A baseline study on marine mammals determining the occurrence on wind farm sites has been conducted by a consortium under the direction of Alterra Wageningen University.

Effect studies
In 2007, research continued to investigate the potential effect of the wind farm on marine mammals after the completion of the construction. Interim reports presenting preliminary results of field work on harbour porpoises and harbour seals are currently available. A final report will be presented after results of all studies are available.

Downloads

• Strategy of approach baseline survey harbour porpoises
• Baseline data on the harbour porpoise
• Harbour seals, Phoca vitulina, in relation to the wind farm site OWEZ, in the Netherlands
• Assessment of the Effects of the Offshore Wind Farm Egmond aan Zee (OWEZ) for Harbour Porpoise (T1), Interim report
• Underwater hearing sensitivity of harbour seals for tonal signals and noise bands