Several species of sharks and rays appear to be present in the waters around large offshore wind farms in the Netherlands. This is shown by a new study from Wageningen University & Research, where researchers have analyzed DNA residues in water samples from four different parks. The university reports this in a press release.
Using so-called environmental DNA – small biological residues that organisms leave in the water – from water samples at wind farms, the researchers have found traces of five different species, including the seahorse and the Brugden shark. A total of 436 samples were examined from the offshore wind farms Borssele, Hollandse Kust Zuid, Luchterduinen and Gemini.
- It's like finding a fingerprint in the water, explains Annemiek Hermans, a PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research and who led the study on environmental DNA.
According to the researchers, the seahorse in particular is frequently recorded in the areas and appears to pass through three of the parks year-round. Other recorded species include the small-spotted ray and the star shark.
- We are trying to understand whether these animals actually use the wind farms as a habitat, or whether they are displaced by them, says Annemiek Hermans.
Although the researchers cannot conclude with certainty that the animals reside permanently in the areas, they assess that there are good opportunities for the offshore wind farms to function as a peaceful habitat. A significant reason may be that bottom trawling is prohibited in and around the parks – a fishing method that otherwise poses a threat to sharks and rays.
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