Abstract
Offshore management is a future challenge for the development of offshore renewable energy (ORE) industries and aquaculture because of the worldwide increase of demand for both industries. The synergetic development of marine renewable energy infrastructure with mariculture has been hypothesized as a way to share services and reduce costs. In the Irish Sea, blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) represent 40% to 50 % of the total gross turnover of Welsh shellfish industries. Also, the strong tidal currents (> 2m/s) occurring in North Wales, make this area an attractive place for the development of tidal renewable energy projects. A numerical approach has been developed using 2D hydrodynamic model (TELEMAC) coupled with particle tracking model (Matlab) to study connectivity between ORE and aquaculture sites. The study show that the location of ORE could potentially influence the connectivity between populations in the Irish Sea and so the importance to plan future multi-use platforms at sea location.