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Seal of Approval
Seal of Approval
Seal of Approval
Seal behaviour shows that tidal turbine isn’t a threat.
Developing any pioneering renewable energy project poses challenges. But the world’s first commercially operational tidal turbine, at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, faced a particular hurdle – its potential impact on local seals. On behalf of project developers Marine Current Turbines, the Living With Environmental Change-accredited Marine Predators programme from the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews, carried out a long-term monitoring programme to assess the animals’ reaction to the turbine.
“This proved that the seal population wouldn’t be adversely affected,” says Peter Fraenkel, Marine Current Turbines’ Technical Director.
Seals are protected by conservation legislation. They are also an excellent barometer of the health of the marine environment. The Sea Mammal Research Unit therefore regularly collects data on their breeding, feeding and other habits from across the UK, using aerial photography, thermal imaging and special electronic devices attached harmlessly to the back of the animals’ heads. Transmitting information to shore via satellite or mobile phone network, these devices have now been used to monitor the behaviour of hundreds of seals.
Sea Mammal Research Unit data and software help many kinds of organisations whose activities may potentially interfere with (or be affected by) seals and other marine mammals. The renewables sector and the fisheries industry are just two beneficiaries of the Unit’s unique expertise. The Royal Navy, meanwhile, equips warships and helicopters with software specifically developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit and BAE Systems to ensure that anti-submarine sonar systems don’t harm these creatures.
“At sea, it’s vital that human activity co-exists with nature as harmoniously as possible,” says Professor Ian Boyd of the Sea Mammal Research Unit. “It’s our job to help maintain that delicate balance.”
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