VertIBase - Supporting evidence-based decision-making on marine vertebrate interactions with wave and tidal energy technologies

大规模部署波浪和潮汐能的雄心勃勃的计划正在进行中，以实现碳减排目标，计划在彭特兰湾和奥克尼沃茨（PFOW）部署1.6吉瓦的发电量，并计划在威尔士和怀特岛海岸进行较小的部署。与此同时，从小型初创中小企业到跨国工程公司，许多波浪和潮汐能技术正在开发中，同时已经建立了包括欧洲海洋能源中心（EMEC）在内的测试场地，皇家地产授予的海底租赁权，以及正在进行的第一批小规模设备阵列的部署。人们对波浪和潮汐能装置/发展与海洋哺乳动物、海鸟和鱼类之间的潜在相互作用表示关切。这些已经形成了NERC/Defra了解海洋可再生设备操作如何影响海洋脊椎动物的精细规模栖息地使用和行为（RESPONSE）（NE/J 004251/1; NE/J 000884/1）的基础。该研究为该问题提供了新的多学科视角，从调查潜在相互作用的实地研究到它在波浪和潮汐领域带来的风险管理挑战。该项目将直接解决与潜在的海洋脊椎动物相互作用相关的挑战，通过翻译新出现的证据和从RESPONSE，FLOWBEC和MREKEP风险和不确定性研究中吸取的经验教训，为波浪和潮汐能部门发展的潜在重大风险提供决策信息。通过与利益相关者社区的直接参与，包括设备和现场开发人员，监管机构，咨询机构，非政府组织和行业协会，将此证据嵌入现场范围界定，技术设计，监测，缓解和同意过程将是这项工作的实际成果。

Ambitious plans for the large-scale deployment of wave and tidal energy are underway to meet carbon reduction targets, with the deployment of 1.6GW of generation planned for the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters (PFOW), and smaller deployments planned off the coast of Wales and Isle of Wight. In parallel, numerous wave and tidal energy technologies are under development by companies ranging from small embryonic SMEs to multinational engineering companies, whilst test sites, including the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) have been established, seabed leases awarded by the Crown Estate, and the deployment of the first, small scale, arrays of devices underway.Amongst this race to develop technology and sites, concerns regarding potential interactions between wave and tidal energy devices/developments and marine mammals, seabirds and fish have emerged. These have formed the basis for the NERC/Defra Understanding How Marine Renewable Device Operations Influences Fine Scale Habitat Use and Behaviour of Marine Vertebrates (RESPONSE) (NE/J004251/1; NE/J000884/1). The study has provided new multi-disciplinary perspectives of the issue, from field studies investigating potential interactions, to the risk management challenges it poses across the wave and tidal sector. The project will directly address the challenges associated with potential marine vertebrate interactions by translating the new emerging evidence and lessons learned from the RESPONSE, FLOWBEC and MREKEP risk and uncertainty study, to inform decision-making on this potentially significant risk to the development of the wave and tidal energy sector. Through direct engagement with a community of stakeholders, incorporating device and site developers, regulators, advisory bodies, NGOs and industry associations, the embedding of this evidence in site scoping, technology design, monitoring, mitigation and consenting processes will be a practical outcome of this work.