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This paper provides a status update on the development of the Swedish wave energy research area located close to Lysekil on the Swedish West coast. The Lysekil project is run by the Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion at Uppsala University. The project was started in 2004 and currently has permission to run until the end of 2013. During this time period 10 grid-connected wave energy converters, 30 buoys for studies on environmental impact, and a surveillance tower for monitoring the interaction between waves and converters will be installed and studied. To date the research area holds one complete wave energy converter connected to a measuring station on shore via a sea cable, a Wave Rider™ buoy for wave measurements, 25 buoys for studies on environmental impact, and a surveillance tower. The wave energy converter is based on a linear synchronous generator which is placed on the sea bed and driven by a heaving point absorber at the ocean surface. The converter is directly driven, i.e. it has no gearbox or other mechanical or hydraulic conversion system. This results in a simple and robust mechanical system, but also in a somewhat more complicated electrical system.

Offshore wave energy conversion is expected to develop, thus contributing to an increase in submerged constructions on the seabed An essential concern related to the deployment of wave energy converters (WECs) is their possible impact on the surrounding soft-bottom habitats In this study, the macrofaunal assemblages in the seabed around the wave energy converters in the Lysekil research site on the Swedish west coast and a neighbouring reference site were examined yearly during a period of 5 years (20042008). Macrobenthic communities living in the WECs' surrounding seabed were mainly composed by organisms typical for the area and depth off the Swedish west coast At both sites the number of individuals, number of species and biodiversity were low, and were mostly small, juvenile organisms The species assemblages during the first years of sampling were significantly different between the Lysekil research site and the nearby reference site with higher species abundance in the research site. The high contribution to dissimilarities was mostly due to polychaetes Sparse macrofaunal densities can be explained by strong hydrodynamic forces and/or earlier trawling. WECs may alter the surrounding seabed with an accumulation of organic matter inside the research area This indicates that the deployment of WECs in the Lysekil research site tends to have rather minor direct ecological impacts on the surrounding benthic community relative to the natural high variances.

Little is known about the effects of offshore energy installations on the marine environment, and further research could assist in minimizing environmental risks as well as in enhancing potential positive effects on the marine environment. While biofouling on marine energy conversion devices on one hand has the potential to be an engineering concern, these structures can also affect biodiversity by functioning as artificial reefs. The Lysekil Project is a test park for wave power located at the Swedish west coast. Here, buoys acting as point absorbers on the surface are connected to generators anchored on concrete foundations on the seabed. In this study we investigated the colonisation of foundations by invertebrates and fish, as well as fouling assemblages on buoys. We examined the influence of surface orientation of the wave power foundations on epibenthic colonisation, and made observations of habitat use by fish and crustaceans during three years of submergence. We also examined fouling assemblages on buoys and calculated the effects of biofouling on the energy absorption of the wave power buoys. On foundations we demonstrated a succession in colonisation over time with a higher degree of coverage on vertical surfaces. Buoys were dominated by the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. Calculations indicated that biofouling have no significant effect in the energy absorption on a buoy working as a point absorber. This study is the first structured investigation on marine organisms associated with wave power devices

Several Western European countries are planning for a significant development of offshore renewable energy along the European Atlantic Ocean coast, including many thousands of wave energy devices and wind turbines. There is an increasing interest in articulating the added values of the creation of artificial hard bottom habitats through the construction of offshore renewable energy devices, for the benefit of fisheries management and conservation. The Lysekil Project is a test park for wave power located about 100 km north of Gothenburg at the Swedish west coast. A wave energy device consists of a linear wave power generator attached to a foundation on the seabed, and connected by a wire to a buoy at the surface. Our field experiment examined the function of wave energy foundations as artificial reefs. In addition, potentials for enhancing the abundance of associated fish and crustaceans through manufactured holes of the foundations were also investigated. Assemblages of mobile organisms were examined by visual censuses in July and August 2007, 3 months after deployment of the foundations. Results generally show low densities of mobile organisms, but a significantly higher abundance of fish and crabs on the foundations compared to surrounding soft bottoms. Further, while fish numbers were not influenced by increased habitat complexity (holes), it had a significantly positive effect on quantities of edible crab (Cancer pagurus), on average leading to an almost five-fold increase in densities of this species. Densities of spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis) were negatively affected by the presence of holes, potentially due to increased predator abundance (e.g. C. pagurus). These results suggest a species-specific response to enhanced habitat complexity.

With large-scale development of offshore wave power conversion, artificial structures become more common in the open sea. To examine how wave power devices may be colonized by epifaunal organisms, 21 concrete foundations used for anchoring wave power generators were studied during two years, 2007 and 2008. The foundations were placed in two different clusters, located north and south within the Lysekil test site at the Swedish west coast. The degree to which early recruits covered the foundations and the succession of epibenthic communities were documented during two years. A succession in colonization over time was observed, with a higher degree of cover in the northern location. Furthermore, the northern location showed an increase in number of individuals, number of species and in Shannon-Wiener diversity in 2008. Dominant organisms on the foundations were the serpulid tubeworms (Pomatoceros triqueter) and barnacles (Balanus sp.). This comprehensive large-scale study about succession and colonization patterns on wave power foundations suggests that the location of wave energy devices affects colonization patterns. This gives indications on settlement patterns on already operating and planned offshore wave power parks further off the coasts.

The use of offshore energy conversion is predicted to expand significantly throughout estuarine and marine environments, with a global potential comparable to that of wind and hydro power. Therefore, it is important to study the interactions of offshore wave power devices with the marine environment. The Lysekil Project is a test park for wave power located about 100 km north of Gothenburg at the Swedish west coast. The concept is based on a linear wave power generator placed on the seabed, and connected via a wire to a buoy acting as point absorbers on the surface. Biofouling on offshore wave energy devices is an issue of concern for the operation or survival of the components. On the other side, these structures may provide habitats for marine organisms and thus increase biodiversity and form artificial reefs. In this chapter, size distribution and biomass of blue mussels on sheltered and exposed marking buoys are examined. Further, these results are used for calculating a worst case scenario of mussel growth on the lifting force of a specially designed toroidal buoy. The results show that more wave-exposed buoys were particularly favourable for blue mussel colonization, but that the hydrodynamic forces of the toroidal buoy were not significantly affected by mussel growth. Thus, biofouling is not necessarily negative for the wave energy absorbance of the wave power buoys.

Generating electricity from waves is predicted to be a new source of renewable energy conversion expanding significantly, with a global potential in the range of wind and hydropower. Several wave power techniques are on the merge of commercialisation, and thus evoke questions of environmental concern. Conservation matters are to some extent valid independent of technique but we mainly focus on point absorbing linear generators. By giving examples from the Lysekil project, run by Uppsala University and situated on the Swedish west coast, we demonstrate ongoing and future environmental studies to be performed along with technical research and development. We describe general environmental aspects generated by wave power projects; issues also likely to appear in Environmental Impact Assessment studies. Colonisation patterns and biofouling are discussed with particular reference to changes of the seabed and alterations due to new substrates. A purposeful artificial reef design to specially cater for economically important or threatened species is also discussed. Questions related to fish, fishery and marine mammals are other examples of topics where, e.g. no-take zones, marine bioacoustics and electromagnetic fields are important areas. In this review we point out areas in which studies likely will be needed, as ventures out in the oceans also will give ample opportunities for marine environmental research in general and in areas not previously studied. Marine environmental and ecological aspects appear to be unavoidable for application processes and in post-deployment studies concerning renewable energy extraction. Still, all large-scale renewable energy conversion will cause some impact mainly by being area demanding. An early incorporation of multidisciplinary and high quality research might be a key for new ocean-based techniques.