d5c51bcc-a1cf-4e44-a458-6e94fa2cacb0 eng 10235 series RPS Energy sharpst@rpsgroup.com pointOfContact 2018-04-25 MEDIN Discovery Profile 2.3.8 urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4236 2005, Environmentally Sustainable Systems Ltd., Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm, Monitoring Report 2006-07-20 publication 10235 This Third Monitoring report analyses the results of the 17 boat surveys from December 2004 to November 2005 for the Kentish Flats Wind Farm, and includes aerial data collected over six surveys during the same period in the area surrounding the wind farm. The purpose of this report is to meet the FEPA license monitoring requirements determined by DEFRA (following advice from English Nature) as a planning consent condition for the construction of the Kentish Flats project. Population estimates with means and standard errors for the wind farm site and buffer zone and for the control site have been calculated using the data collected during each of the 70 boat surveys since October 2001. Standard errors have been updated and improved by the larger (4-year) dataset. Relative abundance indices have been calculated with standard errors for all WWT aerial surveys covering Kentish Flats. Tests have revealed no statistically significant changes between the preconstruction and construction periods. The statistical comparisons of the boat and aerial survey data from the pre-construction and construction periods do not reveal any statistically significant changes in the abundances of bird populations (FEPA Objective 1). The boat analyses are somewhat restricted by the lack of comparable data from the control area, especially during the peak diver period, and the lack of consistency in the dates on which surveys were completed, together with the natural and in some cases extensive seasonal and inter-annual variation in the numbers and distributions of bird populations. Patterns of use and passage in and around the Kentish Flats wind farm, revealed by the mapped distributions of birds seen, do show some changes between years but in most cases it is not possible to attribute these changes to the construction of the wind farm. Even though no changes in bird abundance were statistically significant, the estimates suggest that the numbers of red-throated divers and lesser black-backed gulls had gone down (although numbers of divers observed remain low compared with other parts of the Thames Estuary) and the numbers of herring gulls had gone up. Fewer common tern flights through the wind farm site to some extent (although no statistical difference in populations is apparent). Vattenfall MDE@vattenfall.com custodian Environmentally Sustainable Systems Ltd. paul @environmentallysustainablesystems.com originator asNeeded Bird taxonomy-related abundance per unit area of surface SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2018-01-12 revision 106 Renewable Energy Lease area The Crown Estate Renewable Energy Development Areas 2012-05-15 revision 1 Pre-Construction monitoring The Crown Estate Renewable Energy Development Phases 2012-05-15 revision 1 Construction monitoring The Crown Estate Renewable Energy Development Phases 2012-05-15 revision 1 Post-Construction monitoring The Crown Estate Renewable Energy Development Phases 2012-05-15 revision 1 Bird behaviour SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2017-09-06 revision 103 Bird counts SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary 2017-09-06 revision 103 Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Marine Environmental Data and Information Network Data is freely available for research or commercial use providing that the originators are acknowledged in any publications produced. also refer to the T&Cs on the MDE website: http://www.marinedataexchange.co.uk/pages/terms-of-use.aspx otherRestrictions otherRestrictions None Data is freely available for research or commercial use providing that the originators are acknowledged in any publications produced. also refer to the T&Cs on the MDE website: http://www.marinedataexchange.co.uk/pages/terms-of-use.aspx eng biota environment 1.032700 1.142400 51.373278 51.473833 2004-12-11 2005-11-17 series This Third Monitoring Report analyses the results of the 12 months of boat data collected from December 2004 to November 2005 for the Kentish Flats wind farm project, and aerial data collected from December 2004 to November 2005 within the area immediately surrounding the wind farm site. These aerial surveys cover a greater area extending beyond the wind farm site, and are part of the wider aerial bird survey regime that covers the Thames strategic offshore wind farm area. The purpose of this report is to meet the monitoring requirements placed upon the site by DEFRA (with advice from English Nature) as a condition for planning consent for the Kentish Flats project. The objectives of the pre-, during and post-construction monitoring program are quoted below from Annex 2 of the Schedule to FEPA Licence No. 31780/03/0, dated March 7th, 2003: 1. Determine whether there is change in bird use and passage through the wind farm site, measured by species, abundance and behaviour. 2. Determine whether there is disruption to bird flight lines. 3. Determine the distribution of wildfowl and divers in the Thames Estuary, covering the Kentish Flats study area. This will include movements of wildfowl to and from the coastal SPA sites surrounding the Thames Estuary. 4. Determine the rate of bird collision at the Kentish Flats site. 5. Determine the effectiveness of mitigation measures implemented during wind farm construction. https://www.marinedataexchange.co.uk/details/802/summary A link to the web service or dataset. https://www.marinedataexchange.co.uk A link to the general host site.