Page 114 - Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy Generating Electricity From The Sea

Offshore Wind Chapter | 4 105

ecological (impacts on marine mammals, fish, birds), societal (tourism, visual
impact), conflict with other users (fishing, sea and air navigation, military), and
permit/legal aspects should be carefully investigated.
Marine spatial planning is a process in which all users/stake holders of the
ocean from industries, government, coastal communities, conservation, tourism,
and recreation collaborate in a unified framework to make informed decisions
about using an area for a particular purpose. The objective of marine spatial
planning is to identify areas that are most suitable for a specific usage (e.g. wind
farm) with minimum conflicts amongst other users, minimum environmental
impacts, and also preserving ecosystem services in a sustainable way.
Therefore, various types of data should be collected, analysed, and synthe-
sized by a team of experts in collaboration with authorities and other stake
holders to identify potential feasible sites for offshore wind projects. One of
the best ways to present and combine geospatial data is in the geographic
information science (GIS) environment. Here is a sample list of maps/data that
needs to be prepared for marine spatial planning in relation to offshore wind
projects [8].

● Technical-related maps/data
♦ Wind resource (e.g. average wind speed at hub-height)
♦ Water depth (bathymetry)
♦ Geology and foundation
● Other users of the ocean
♦ Navigation areas; shipping lanes
♦ Vessel tracks, ferry routes
♦ Fishing areas
♦ Recreational/tourism (e.g. sailing race courses, diving sites, bird/shark
watching areas)
♦ Airport buffer zones
♦ Aquaculture
♦ Existing leases
♦ Military
♦ Cable routes
● Marine protected areas
● Environmental-related maps/data
♦ Marine mammals and turtles
♦ Birds
♦ Sediment and benthic habitats