Nall Christopher R, Schläppy Marie-Lise, Guerin Andrew J
a Environmental Research Institute , University of Highlands and Islands , Thurso , UK.
b School of Marine Science and Technology , Newcastle University , Newcastle-upon-Tyne , UK.
Biofouling. 2017 May;33(5):379-396. doi: 10.1080/08927014.2017.1317755.
Wave energy devices are novel structures in the marine environment and, as such, provide a unique habitat for biofouling organisms. In this study, destructive scrape samples and photoquadrats were used to characterise the temperate epibenthic community present on prototypes of the Pelamis wave energy converter. The biofouling observed was extensive and diverse with 115 taxa recorded including four non-native species. Vertical zonation was identified on the sides of the device, with an algae-dominated shallow subtidal area and a deeper area characterised by a high proportion of suspension-feeding invertebrates. Differences in species composition and biomass were also observed between devices, along the length of the device and between sampling dates. This research provides an insight into the variation of biofouling assemblages on a wave energy device as well as the potential technical and ecological implications associated with biofouling on marine renewable energy structures.
波浪能装置是海洋环境中的新型结构，因此为生物污损生物提供了独特的栖息地。在本研究中，采用破坏性刮擦样本和照片样方来描述佩拉米斯波浪能转换器原型上的温带浅海群落。观察到的生物污损广泛且多样，记录了115个分类单元，包括4个非本地物种。在装置侧面发现了垂直分布带，浅潮下区域以藻类为主，而较深区域的特征是悬浮取食无脊椎动物比例较高。在不同装置之间、沿装置长度以及采样日期之间，还观察到了物种组成和生物量的差异。这项研究深入了解了波浪能装置上生物污损组合的变化，以及与海洋可再生能源结构上生物污损相关的潜在技术和生态影响。
