Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 64, Issue 12, Pages 2770-2781Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.09.011
Keywords
Oil and gas platforms; Artificial reefs; OSPAR convention; North Sea; Biological connectivity; Dispersion
Funding
- University of St. Andrews
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Tests are made of the conjecture that the platforms in the North Sea are biologically connected, with organisms originating from some platforms reaching and substantially augmenting those at others so that, together, the platforms effectively form a sort of artificial reef. The M-2 tide results in a relatively rapid transfer of organisms between neighbouring platforms. Some 60% of platforms in the southern UK Sector are directly connected by tidal flows. Such connection in the northern Sector is relatively rare, about 23% of platforms being connected. Mean flows connect platforms in 'strings' sharing a common streamline spread by turbulent dispersion. Metrics are devised to indicate how well a particular platform is connected to others. Strings are broken when contributions to the concentration of organisms from platforms fall below detection limits. Many platforms are likely to be connected in strings in the southern UK Sector, but relatively few in the northern Sector. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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