Can offshore wind farm floats enrich and valorize their biodiversity through processes of marine eco-engineering?

For the last four years, Ecocean and the CREM center (Perpignan University) have been involved in several research projects aiming at developing and optimizing an artificial fish nursery called the Biohut^R and meant to enrich immersed infrastructures. By providing food and shelter to the young fish, this micro-habitat enables them to survive and grow through their most vulnerable life stage, up to a size where they are ready to join adult population. These projects have brought two conclusions: 1. Micro-habitat does attract a rich and abundant biodiversity, 2. Eco-engineering can greatly improve the potential of underwater artificial infrastructure to provide opportunities for young fish to grow and feed. Offshore areas are traditionally perceived as nature-depleted zones, as it is an ecosystem providing little opportunities for life to develop. To assess whether the Biohut can bring some added-value to the rigs platform in those offshore wind farm zones, two innovative projects are on-going: - One in South Korea where an offshore scientific platform has been equipped with Biohut. The initial results will be presented in the talk. - One in the Mediterranean Sea where eco-conception principle has been integrated into an international consortium for the Pilot Floating Offshore Wind Farm 2015 Call launched by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency. Objectives of those projects are to bring confirmation that rigs platform do shelter life, and can provide ecological nursery functions. As it is observed around Marine Protected Areas, fishermen could then benefit from an increase in capture in a few years. (authors)