An online platform has been launched to disseminate environmental monitoring data collected within the marine energy industry.
MARENDATA, launched in collaboration by the SEA Wave and WESE projects, is a dedicated data sharing platform which will host a range of compiled data collected from marine energy test sites including the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland; BiMEP in the Basque Country; and Peniche, in Portugal.
Co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, both SEA Wave and WESE are undertaking bespoke environmental research campaigns to better understand the potential environmental effects associated with deploying and operating some of the world’s leading marine energy technologies.
Data derived from the test sites will include resource characterisation, underwater noise, and video capturing seabed ecology and species behaviour. Data uploaded on the platform will be relevant in evaluating the potential positive and negative environmental effects of wave and tidal energy devices.
Data acquired from the former SOWFIA project, funded by EU Intelligent Energy Europe, has been amalgamated with the data collected through SEA Wave and WESE and will also be uploaded to MARENDATA.
By Rebecca Jeffrey
