Abstract
Offshore energy installations, such as wave power parks have large area demands. Little is known about their effects on the marine environment, and early studies may minimize environmental risks and enhance potential positive effects on the marine environment. The Islandsberg project is a wave power park located on the Swedish west coast under construction since 2005. Here, buoys acting as point absorbers are connected to generators anchored on concrete foundations on the seabed. Most likely, biofouling has the potential to be an engineering concern but at the same time, these structures can be considered as artificial reefs. In the present study the colonisation of foundations by invertebrates and fish was investigated. The influences of holes in and on the surface of the foundations on colonisation and species composition were examined and a succession in colonisation over time is shown. Structural heterogeneity may enhance the colonisation of macrobenthic organisms. This pilot study is the first contribution to what constitutes an important research topic based on different ideas of an effective and purposeful reef design integrating wave power devices and their development.