Abstract
This ECR research fund supported a feasibility study around Orbital’s O2 floating tidal energy structure (Fig. 1) located in the Fall of Warness, Orkney, Scotland, to inform on industry-relevant flow measures and environmental interactions, thereby proving a low-cost, robust and reproducible monitoring approach. The overall goal of the project was to generate in-situ, industryrelevant data to be used in flow field characterisation (inflow and wake effects), turbine array spacing modelling, as well as for environmental impact assessments. This was achieved using a combination of vessel-mounted transects equipped with water column sensors, concurrent seabird observations and aerial drone surveys.