Uncovering the impacts of man-made structures from the bottom of the food chain all the way to the top, EcoSTAR uses tracking data to study marine mammals as indicators of ecosystem health whilst addressing data gaps on benthic ecosystems and modelling the effects of Man-Made Structures (MMS), climate change and fisheries.

Industrial Seas

The North Sea is one of the most industrialised marine environments on the planet, with thousands of MMS including oil and gas platforms, pipelines, subsea cable routes, and marine renewable energy installations. However, the impact of MMS on ecosystems is unclear. To ensure effective decision-making about removal and installation of such structures in the future, there is an urgent need to better understand the impact of MMS on the North Sea ecosystem.

Objectives

The EcoSTAR project aimed to uncover the impacts of MMS on marine ecosystems, by mapping existing windfarms and oil and gas infrastructure, and measuring the impacts of MMS from the bottom of the food chain (the benthic community) all the way to the top (marine mammals).

Understanding the Changing North Sea

EcoSTAR focused on three key research areas:

  • Flagship species – using tracking data from marine mammals EcoSTAR studied the foraging behaviour of marine mammals and explored their role as indicators of ecosystem health.
  • Addressing data gaps – EcoSTAR improved understanding of the impact of MMS on benthic ecosystems by filling data gaps.
  • Modelling – the project helped improve and expand models North Sea ecosystem models which enabled them to assess the effects of MMS, climate change, and fisheries.

Connectivity

Recent research, building on Stadler et al. (2022), found no strong link between offshore structures and porpoise behaviour in parts of the North Sea with fewer platforms. Seal activity varied by region but some individuals did show changes near these structures or repeated visits (see video below). These insights help us understand how top predators might respond to man-made environments. For species that live on the seabed, those living closer to platforms expressed fewer traits (traits are the measurable biological features of organisms, including aspects of their morphology, physiology, behaviour, and phenology), suggesting higher functional vulnerability and therefore changes in how the ecosystem works.

 

Video: Foraging seals hunt around wind farms

From Tracking to Trophic Links

Diet assessments through stomach and faecal sample analysis, allows us to understand what the animals ate and helps us to determine local fish availability in time and space. EcoSTAR estimated seal and harbour porpoise distribution in UK and Irish waters  using tracking data, habitat models, and haul-out counts. Meanwhile, harbour porpoise distribution was modelled using data from a number of large-scale cetacean surveys. Both sets of information can help to predict how changes in offshore structures (MMS) might affect the abundance of predators and prey.

 

Image: Satellite tracking data of 114 grey seals from Carter et al. (2022)

What’s Really Out There? Mapping North Sea Structures

Existing databases on offshore structures in the North Sea were found to be incomplete and sometimes inaccurate. To address this, researchers created a new, more reliable dataset by combining data from multiple sources. As of mid-2024, the North Sea hosts around 700 oil and gas platforms and over 5,000 wind turbines—emphasising the need to plan carefully for their future removal.

Exploring future scenarios

A detailed ecosystem model, Ecopath with Ecosim model, was updated (and is available for download) to better represent marine mammals and expanded to include more areas. Using input from experts and stakeholders, researchers developed future scenarios — including climate change, and fisheries management — to explore how these changes might affect marine life and fisheries.

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