Water Quality

The chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water.

Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water, including temperature, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen content, and concentration of contaminants. Water quality is crucial to support the many animal and plant organisms that live in it. Marine and freshwater environments can be very sensitive to changes in water quality, especially dissolved oxygen concentration, salinity, nutrient levels, and presence of contaminants or chemicals. As offshore wind and marine renewable energy devices are placed in the water, changes in flow may occur around this new obstruction due to energy removal and may affect the distribution of these water components. While the effects of individual devices may be localized, arrays may have a greater impact on changes in water quality in the farfield environment and on ecosystem processes. Estuaries may be the most susceptible to impacts, as researchers theorize that significant energy extraction may increase vertical mixing while decreasing flushing. This may result in positive impacts such as higher concentrations of bottom water dissolved oxygen, while also negatively affecting water quality by increasing contaminants and phytoplankton production. Numerical models are often used to estimate changes in water quality, but it is difficult to quantify change in such a complex system with natural variability and climate change.

 

Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Tethys is a knowledge hub that contains documents on the environmental effects of wind and marine energy. The table below contains all of the documents in the Tethys Knowledge Base associated with Water Quality.

Total: 133

Searches title and abstract.
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Seasonal variation of diel vertical migration of zooplankton from ADCP backscatter time series data in the Lazarev Sea, Antarctica Cisewski, B., Strass, V., Rhein, M. Journal Article Physical Environment, Water Quality, Invertebrates
Effects of Artificial Reefs (Southern Portugal) on Sediment-Water Transport of Nutrients: Importance of the Hydrodynamic Regime Falcão, M., Santos, M., Drago, T. Journal Article Changes in Flow Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality
Coastal environmental assessment and management by ecological simulation in Yeoja Bay, Korea Lee, D.I., Choi, J.M., Lee, M.O. Journal Article Marine Energy Physical Environment, Water Quality
Ecological Risk as a Tool for Evaluating the Effects of Offshore Wind Farm Construction in the North Sea Nunneri, C., Lenhart, J., Burkhard, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Water Quality
Temporal variability of zooplankton biomass from ADCP backscatter time series data at the Bermuda Testbed Mooring site Jiang, S., Dickey, T., Steinberg, D. Journal Article Physical Environment, Water Quality, Invertebrates
Environmental Issues of Natural Temperature Differences Utilization Gauthier, M. Book Chapter OTEC, Marine Energy Changes in Flow Water Quality, Physical Environment
Elsam. Offshore Wind Farm. Horns Rev. Annual status report for the environmental monitoring programme 1. January 2001 - 31. December 2001 Tech-Wise A/S Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Horns Rev Offshore Wind Power Farm Environmental Impact Assessment on Water Quality Andersen, P. Report Wind Energy Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Marine Spatial Planning
Horns Rev Wind Power Plant Environmental impact assessment of hydrography Edelvang, K., Møller, A., Steenberg, C. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Evaluation of a gradient sampling design for environmental impact assessment Ellis, J., Schneider, D. Journal Article Chemicals Physical Environment, Water Quality
The “data-rich but information-poor” syndrome in water quality monitoring Ward, R., Loftis, J., McBride, G. Journal Article Chemicals Physical Environment, Water Quality
The Potential Environmental Consequences of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Plants Walsh, J. Workshop Article Marine Energy, OTEC Chemicals, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Water Quality
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC): Social and environmental issues Lavi, A., Lavi, G. Journal Article Marine Energy, OTEC Chemicals Physical Environment, Water Quality
Displaying 121 - 133 of 133 results