the habitat for feeding or the prospect of encountering individuals which increases the carrying capacity of the area (Andersson and Öhman 2010; Bohnsack 1989).
203. Stenberg et al. (2011) found that after seven years of monitoring at the Horns Rev 1 windfarm there were minor changes in the fish community and species structure. The most common species seen were whiting and dab, but this increase was also reflected within the wider North Sea stock. Sandeel specific monitoring also suggested that the construction of the windfarm had not caused a detrimental long- term impact on the overall occurrence of sandeels in the area.
204. Subsequent monitoring at Egmond aan Zee (Lindeboom et al. 2011) found minor aggregating effects with species such as cod based on two years of post-construction monitoring. The report suggested that the windfarm may potentially provide refuge for cod and other species. A long running fish monitoring survey at the Lillgrund offshore windfarm, also showed no overall increase in fish numbers, although there was an increase in fish numbers associated with the base of the foundations for some species (Andersson 2011).
205. Monitoring from North Hoyle and Barrow offshore windfarms in the UK, have shown that results from pre and post construction of commercial fish species being broadly comparable and with long term trends in the regional areas (Cefas 2009). In conjunction with this, sampling undertaken at reference sites associated with both of these windfarms, found no significant difference between the reference and windfarm sampling locations, or between fish species and numbers caught before both the windfarms being constructed (Cefas 2009).
206. Crustaceans would be expected to exhibit the greatest affinity to scour protection material and foundation bases through the expansion of their natural habitats (Linley et al. 2007). Post-construction monitoring surveys at the Horns Rev 1 offshore wind farm noted that the hard substrates were used as a hatchery or nursery grounds for several species, and was particularly successful for brown crab. They concluded that larvae and juveniles rapidly invade the hard substrates from the breeding areas (BioConsult 2006). Studies in the UK have identified increases of benthic species including crabs and lobsters from colonisation of sub-surface structures by subtidal sessile species (Linley et al. 2007) on which they can feed.
207. GBS foundations and associated scour protection would have the largest footprint on the sea bed out of the foundation types under consideration. The worst case scenario would be the use of 100 GBS foundations and scour protection with a diameter of 180m, plus 7 foundations for the converter, collector and metmasts (Table 11.2).
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
Chapter 11 Fish and Shellfish Page 71
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