This report, authored by the team at ELEMENT partner France Energies Marines (FEM), summarises findings from the environmental monitoring at the two project sites conducted under the project in its first year.

Findings are analysed from monitoring in the Etel estuary in France, which took place over a 12.5 day-period, containing a full spring tide tidal cycle. Results on cumulative occurrence of the velocity magnitude suggest that a tidal turbine with a cut-in-speed of 0.5 m/s might generate electricity, 80% of the time.  At the Bluemull site (Shetland), three 5-beam ADCPs were deployed in three locations North of the three operational M100 turbines at depths of approximately 30-35m.

The monitoring options that can enhance the design work under the Automated Collision Avoidance System (ACAS) have been the subject of discussions between FEM and Nova Innovation. The aim of discussions was to review the benefits of different methods of monitoring near-field interactions between marine life (more particularly mammals, birds and fish) and turbines.