Abstract
This survey report on biological fouling (NZW-MEP task 1.1.2) describes the findings during the monitoring of marine fouling in the NZW windfarm during the first year of operation in 2007. This monitoring however had to be postponed until February 2008 due to less optimal weather conditions in 2007 during the planned survey period and unavailability of suitable vessels when the weather was suitable again. This has not interfered with the results.
The goal of the monitoring is to investigate if biological fouling on the OWEZ windfarm has a different pattern in time and space, compared to what can be expected based on existing knowledge. This report is a first description of the fouling in the OWEZ windfarm. The aim is to deliver information on the nature and thickness of the fouling on turbine support constructions, as a function of time. It concerns the assessment of the (succession of) species composition and the expected biomass through the successive years. The monitoring details for the biological fouling monitoring are linked to the existing inspection procedures (inspection of monopile construction) and with the inspection activities regarding the corrosion monitoring activities.
The following additional reports describe the findings during the monitoring of marine fouling in the NZW windfarm during the second and third year of operation in 2008 and 2009: