Underwater acoustic monitoring equipment has been deployed off the east coast of Scotland as part of a two-year study aimed at improving understanding of minke whale activity in areas being considered for export cable routes for offshore wind farms.
The work, led by the Scottish Society for Marine Science (SAMS), focuses on the Southern Trench Marine Protected Area (MPA) off the Aberdeenshire coast, where several offshore wind projects are planning grid-connection infrastructure.
The study is funded by ScotWind Projects Broadshore offshore wind farm, Offshore wind farm in Caledonia and Great offshore wind farm in the oceanalong with Crown Estate Scotland and NatureScot. The developers said the research aims to support the design of mitigation measures for offshore wind projects while contributing to the protection of marine species in Scottish waters.
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The Southern Moat Conservation Area has been designated to protect a known population of minke whales, although researchers say limited data currently exists on the timing of their arrival and the extent of their presence in the area.
According to SAMS, the Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) campaign will establish baseline data on the seasonal presence and movement of minke whales before offshore wind-related work in the area begins.
Monitoring equipment, including underwater broadband audio recorders and acoustic trigger units, was deployed at three locations within the marine protected area using vessels operated by Marine Environmental Solutions.
“To date, our team has successfully recovered and redeployed three acoustic devices covering the summer and fall of 2025 in the Southern Trench Marine Conservation Area, as we seek to better understand the habits of these fascinating marine mammals.” He said Anja WitichProject Manager at SAMS Enterprise.
“With this information, we can provide the best possible insights into minke whale movements and can then take the necessary steps to understand potential impacts.”
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