Abstract
Natural Power and its partners EDF Renewables, Nature Metrics and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership has prepared a proof of concept to demonstrate that environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and analysis is a commercially viable alternative to traditional fish ecology surveys when assessing the environmental impact of offshore wind developments.
To provide an evidence base for the potential acceptance of eDNA based methods as a valid alternative to conventional fish trawl surveys, both methods were conducted in parallel at an offshore wind installation. Seasonal co-located trawls and eDNA sampling were carried out at four locations around the Blyth Offshore Demonstrator, with eDNA sampling at two additional locations within the turbine array, which was not possible to survey with trawl sampling. eDNA samples were analysed using fish, vertebrate (fish, mammals and birds) and invertebrate assays. This report focusses on fish ecology and marine mammal occurrence, with comparative analysis of the fish and vertebrate assays presented. Investigation into the invertebrate communities is ongoing and will be reported on subsequently.