Horns Rev offshore wind farm. Introducing hard bottom substrate sea bottom and marine biology. Data report 2001

The Ministry of Environment and Energy requested ELSAM and ELTRA to establish an offshore wind farm with an output of 150 MW in the waters of Horns Rev, approximately 15 km off Blaevandshuk, which is the most westerly point of Denmark. The first phase of construction of the wind farm have started in spring 2002. Before the construction activities take place, a baseline description of the benthos has been conducted as a part of an environmental monitoring programme for the introduction of hard bottom substrates in the North Sea. The establishment of a monitoring programme is required according to some environmental guidelines for offshore wind farms prepared by the Danish Energy Agency. The monitoring programme established for the benthic infauna was performed in spring 2001. In addition to a proposed fish investigation programme concerning the stomach contents of fish a comparative programme on benthos was established as part of the monitoring programme. The benthos sampling in connection with the fish programme was conducted in autumn 2001. This benthic survey includes sampling in a proposed reference area for the fish surveys north east of the wind farm. This report presents the data of the baseline environmental survey of the seabed in the wind farm site and in the proposed reference site and a brief description of the weather conditions at the time of sampling. (au)