[MassHistPres] Nantucket Sound Wind Farm

[Tucker, Jonathan]

While there is variation, in most marine environments the addition of
almost any kind of structure will substantially increase habitat for a
wide range of organisms.  In ecology, this is referred to as the "edge
effect." 

 

Studies in of off-shore wind turbines in Denmark seem to support the
notion that such structures will have this effect:

 

http://greenenergyreporter.com/2010/01/boosting-offshore-winds-eco-image
-one-fish-at-a-time/. 

 

Oil rig platforms in the Gulf of Mexico that have outlived their
usefulness for resource extraction are frequently left in place rather
than being dismantled, because they produce such useful habitat for
marine life, including for species that are otherwise declining in the
area.  California is considering the same practice.  Decommissioned
ships and other larger structures (such as "tire reefs"-numerous old
tires lashed together) have been deliberately sunk to serve this purpose
for decades.

 

Combined with new regulations, the wind turbine structures might
actually protect the sea floor, interrupting the patterns of net
trawlers.  In their effort to gather every last fish they can, net
trawlers currently scour the sea floor, damaging its ecological
function, and injuring or destroying any surface archeological features
that might be present.  Their 'clear-cutting' approach to fishing has
resulted in the serious depletion of many species.  Interrupting this
practice could allowed these species the opportunity to recover.

 

So maybe not all change is bad.  

 

Jonathan Tucker

Planning Director

Amherst Planning Department

4 Boltwood Avenue, Town Hall

Amherst, MA  01002

(413) 259-3040

tuckerj at amherstma.gov    

 

 

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of McClure, Veronica
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 5:06 PM
To: Bjdurk at aol.com; jworden at swwalaw.com; masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Cc: roberta_lane at nthp.org; Forum-L at lists.nationaltrust.org
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Nantucket Sound Wind Farm

 

Do we really know how the underwater construction of these turbines will
affect the seabed and the creatures in it, the water, and the air?

 

I understand that there are offshore turbines in other locations and
have heard them used to justify this installation, but seems to me that
the features of each seabed, the methods of construction (will there be
blasting?), and the differences in organisms from place to place should
caution against automatically assuming that if it works in one location,
it will work in any other.

 

I'm not an expert in these things, but that doesn't mean I can't wonder
about them.

 

Veronica McClure 

 

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