232. The important prey brown shrimp and commercially important crab edible crab were identified as present in surveys which covered the offshore cable corridor. These species are highly mobile and would be expected to evade the initial construction impact (Construction impact 1) and return to the impacted area within a short period of time. These species are assessed by MarLIN as having low andmoderate sensitivity to substratum loss (which is considered equivalent to permanent habitat loss) (Neal 2008 Neal and Wilson 2008). Taking this into account, a medium sensitivity is assigned to this receptor.
233. Mussels belonging to the family Mytilidae were present throughout the nearshore section of the offshore cable corridor. They are of potential interest due to their commercial value, their potential to form Annex I biogenic reefs and their value as a potential prey item. Mussels are intolerant of substratum loss because they require hard substrata to attach to but are likely to recover through rapid larval recruitment. If a mussel is displaced but not damaged, it has the ability to reattach to new substrata so is tolerant of displacement (Tyler-Walters 2008). Once placed on the sea bed the cable protection is likely to be provide additional substrate for the mussels to colonise.
234. Mytilidae are therefore considered to have a low sensitivity to the effect of habitat loss from cable protection.
235. The benthic receptors within the offshore cable corridor all have a medium or low sensitivity to the impact of permanent habitat loss. The magnitude of this impact, as previously discussed, is considered to be low. Therefore, the significance of the impact within the offshore cable corridor would be minor adverse.
236. As the offshore cable would remain buried under the intertidal region throughout the operational life of 25 years, no cable protection would be required and as such no impacts to benthic ecology would take place.
10.6.2.1.3Summary of Operation impact 1 237. The impact of permanent habitat loss both within the East Anglia THREE site and the offshore cable corridor has been assessed as being at worst of minor adverse significance. It is unlikely that there would be any interactions between the different study areas and therefore the overall impact of permanent habitat loss caused during the operational life of the project would be ofminor adverse significance.
10.6.2.2 Impact 2: Physical Disturbance throughMaintenance Activities 238. There is potential for physical disturbance to benthic organisms and habitats during operation where inter- array and export cables require repair, or where other maintenance activities require the use of a jack- up vessels. It has been anticipated
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
Chapter 1 Introduction Page 74
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