Robotic submersible documents 121 marine species around Scotland's floating wind turbines

A work-class remotely operated vehicle equipped with an HD camera explored the submerged components of five Hywind Scotland floating turbines, which lie about 25 kilometres east of Peterhead in waters 100-130 metres deep. Moving along steel structures, chains, anchors and cables down to roughly 80 metres, the ROV recorded a surprisingly diverse community, documenting 121 different taxa from sea stars and urchins to mussels, fan worms, crustaceans and various algae.

Among the footage were three potential juvenile colonies of the deep-water coral Desmophyllum pertusum observed on an infield cable, though no samples were taken to confirm the identification. The artificial hard surfaces introduced by the turbines contrast with the surrounding sand-gravel seabed, creating new habitats that support both sessile organisms and mobile species such as fish, squid and rays. Analysis of surveys from 2018 and 2020 showed an increase in overall surface coverage, while the thickness of hard growth declined and soft growth expanded on the turbine structures. The findings, published by the European Academy of Wind Energy, offer a rare glimpse into how offshore floating wind infrastructure can evolve into thriving marine ecosystems.