Sharks and rays found using offshore wind farms as habitat

There was a basking shark in the North Sea. The chance that people will see the animal is very small. But the discovery does shed new light on the consequences of building large wind farms.

Wageningen University & Research says that there are at least five species of sharks and rays swimming within eighteen kilometers of the beach.

Sharks and rays found using offshore wind farms as habitat

A new study by Wageningen University & Research shows that offshore wind farms not only produce energy, but may also contribute to the protection of marine life. Several shark and ray species were detected in and around Dutch wind farms based on traces of DNA in the seawater (eDNA).

Five species of sharks and rays, including basking shark, live among offshore wind farms

Five species of sharks and rays, including the massive basking shark, live off the Dutch coast among the offshore wind farms, according to research by Wageningen University. “This is good news,” researcher Annemiek Hermans told NOS. “For a while, it was thought that the activity at wind farms would deter sharks and rays. But our information shows that this is not the case.”

While they were thought silent, the sharks made their voices heard. At least those of a particular species, the Spotted Emissole (Mustelus lenticulatus), characterized by a dentition evoking the cobbles of the old alleys of our historic centres. Professor Eric Parmentier, director of the Laboratory of Functional Morphology and Evolutive of the University of Liège, was part of the international team that highlighted this surprising active product…

Sharks and rays found living around Dutch wind farms - DutchNews.nl

Researchers at Wageningen University have detected several shark and ray species in and around Dutch wind farms via traces of...