The Rich North Sea

The Rich North Sea led and coordinated a nature enhancement and monitoring programme within the Eneco Luchterduinen offshore wind farm, focused on testing whether offshore wind infrastructure can support marine biodiversity and help restore native habitats. The programme began with field trials from 2018 and continued with multiple monitoring missions and iterative improvements to the deployed structures. The work included placing oyster cages with young and adult flat oysters on the seabed, alongside protective habitat structures, and subsequently developing and implementing an improved “oyster table” concept designed to withstand local seabed and storm conditions. The monitoring programme assessed oyster survival and reproduction, the stability of the deployed structures, and broader biodiversity effects around the installations. Because diving is not allowed inside wind farms, the programme used alternative monitoring techniques such as environmental DNA (e-DNA) sampling and underwater cameras. The Rich North Sea acted as a link between science and industry partners, organising offshore missions, coordinating collaboration activities, and disseminating findings to encourage wider adoption of nature-inclusive design and restoration methods in offshore wind farms.