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van der Molen, Johan, García-García, Luz María, Whomersley, Paul, Callaway, Alexander, Posen, Paulette E. and Hyder, Kieran 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1428-5679
(2018)
Connectivity of larval stages of sedentary marine communities between hard substrates and offshore structures in the North Sea.
Scientific Reports, 8.
ISSN 2045-2322
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Abstract
Man-made structures including rigs, pipelines, cables, renewable energy devices, and ship wrecks, offer hard substrate in the largely soft-sediment environment of the North Sea. These structures become colonised by sedentary organisms and non-migratory reef fish, and form local ecosystems that attract larger predators including seals, birds, and fish. It is possible that these structures form a system of interconnected reef environments through the planktonic dispersal of the pelagic stages of organisms by ocean currents. Changes to the overall arrangement of hard substrate areas through removal or addition of individual man-made structures will affect the interconnectivity and could impact on the ecosystem. Here, we assessed the connectivity of sectors with oil and gas structures, wind farms, wrecks, and natural hard substrate, using a model that simulates the drift of planktonic stages of seven organisms with sedentary adult stages associated with hard substrate, applied to the period 2001–2010. Connectivity was assessed using a classification system designed to address the function of sectors in the network. Results showed a relatively stable overall spatial distribution of sector function but with distinct variations between species and years. The results are discussed in the context of decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure in the North Sea.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | sdg 7 - affordable and clean energy,sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/affordable_and_clean_energy |
| Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences |
| UEA Research Groups: | Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
| Date Deposited: | 18 Oct 2018 15:30 |
| Last Modified: | 22 Oct 2022 04:11 |
| URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68596 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-018-32912-2 |
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