2007 RPS; Lynn Inner Dowsing Marine Mammal Monitoring

Construction phase of the Centrica Renewable Energy Ltd’s (CREL) Inner Dowsing and Lynn offshore wind farms began in April 2007. As underwater noise generated during construction of wind farms - principally through pile driving - has previously been shown to be of physical risk to marine mammals in close proximity. (PAM) system, were to be stationed onboard a crew boat prior to all pile-driving operations. By conducting radial transect surveys around the point of piling the MMO’s could ensure that piling would not commence should marine mammals be detected in the 500 metres exclusion zone in the critical pre-piling period. In addition, a soft start was to be implemented for all piling events.. A total of almost 85 hours were spent in acoustic mitigation monitoring and over 82 hours were spent in visual mitigation monitoring.