Measurement of the diameter of biocolonised moorings and biofouling composition at T+6 months of immersion.

To reduce the number of interventions and maintenance operations, it is necessary to monitor the proliferation of marine fouling in real time and over a long period. This is why it is necessary to have an in situ optical video system that is protected for as long as possible against biocolonisation.

Review to identify the state of knowledge on anodes and their environmental impact. Report serving as a basis for further work (deliverables 3 and 4)

Measurement of the diameter of the biocolonised moorings and the composition of the biofouling at T+12 months of immersion.

Spatial study and sensitivity of network indices to wind farm closure and climate disruption using an Ecospace model

Backup of the data used for characterising the different biofouling monitoring protocols in an excel file.

The consequences of climate change for marine organisms are now well-known, and include metabolism and behavior modification, distribution area shifts and changes in the community. In the Bay of Biscay, the potential environmental niches of subtropical non-indigenous species (NIS) are projected to expand as a response to sea temperature rise by the mid-century under the RCP8.5 climate change scenario. In this context, this study aims to project the combined effects of changes in indigenous species distribution and metabolism and NIS arrivals on the functioning of the Bay of Biscay trophic network. To do this, we created six different Ecopath food web models: a “current situation” trophic model (2007–2016) and five “future” trophic models. The latter five models included various NIS biomass combinations to reflect different potential scenarios of NIS arrivals. For each model, eight Ecological Network Analysis (ENA) indices were calculated, describing the properties of the food web resulting from the sum of interactions between organisms. Our results illustrate that rising temperature increases the quantity of energy passing through the system due to increased productivity. A decrease in the biomass of some trophic groups due to the reduction of their potential environmental niches also leads to changes in the structure of the trophic network. The arrival of NIS is projected to change the fate of organic matter within the ecosystem, with higher cycling, relative ascendency, and a chain-like food web. It could also cause new trophic interactions that could lead to competition and thus modify the food-web structure, with lower omnivory and higher detritivory. The combined impacts (increasing temperatures and NIS arrivals) could lower the resilience and resistance of the system.

Report describing the methodology and results of the simulations

The objective of the TROPHIK project was to model the role of offshore wind turbines and other anthropogenic activities in modifying the functioning of thefood webs of the Bay of Seine by taking climate change into account. TROPHIK has initiated a methodology to move from the sectoral vision of environmental impact studies to a functional and holistic approach. The analysis of the sensitivity of the functioning of the food web to the development of offshore wind farms represents a solid basis for recommending new areas of implantation. This approach will be completed within the framework of APPEAL and WINDSERV by integrating the societal and economic environment as well as biogeochemical forcings

During the ABIOP project launch meeting, the consortium agreed to add a task to the project aimed at identifying the challenges of biocolonisation in an ORE context. This additional work is indeed necessary because it allows the organisation, updating and presentation of the reflections undertaken by biofouling experts from various industrial and research entities and federated by FEM, for several years on this topic.