Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean

Ashley M. Fowler; A.M. Jørgensen; Jon C. Svendsen; Peter I. Macreadie; Daniel O.B. Jones; Arjen R. Boon; David J. Booth; Robin Brabant; Emily Callahan; Jeremy T. Claisse; Thomas G. Dahlgren; Steven Degraer; Quenton R. Dokken; Andrew B. Gill; David G. Johns; Robert J. Leewis; Han J. Lindeboom; Olof Linden; Roel May; Albertinka J. Murk; Geir Ottersen; Donna M. Schroeder; Sunil M. Shastri; Jonas Teilmann; Victoria Todd; Gert Van Hoey; Jan Vanaverbeke; Joop W.P. Coolen

doi:10.1002/fee.1827

Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean

Ashley M. Fowler^*, A.M. Jørgensen, Jon C. Svendsen, Peter I. Macreadie, Daniel O.B. Jones, Arjen R. Boon, David J. Booth, Robin Brabant, Emily Callahan, Jeremy T. Claisse, Thomas G. Dahlgren, Steven Degraer, Quenton R. Dokken, Andrew B. Gill, David G. Johns, Robert J. Leewis, Han J. Lindeboom, Olof Linden, Roel May, Albertinka J. MurkGeir Ottersen, Donna M. Schroeder, Sunil M. Shastri, Jonas Teilmann, Victoria Todd, Gert Van Hoey, Jan Vanaverbeke, Joop W.P. Coolen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The removal of thousands of structures associated with oil and gas development from the world’s oceans is well underway, yet the environmental impacts of this decommissioning practice remain unknown. Similar impacts will be associated with the eventual removal of offshore wind turbines. We conducted a global survey of environmental experts to guide best decommissioning practices in the North Sea, a region with a substantial removal burden. In contrast to current regulations, 94.7% of experts (36 out of 38) agreed that a more flexible case-by- case approach to decommissioning could benefit the North Sea environment. Partial removal options were considered to deliver better environmental outcomes than complete removal for platforms, but both approaches were equally supported for wind turbines. Key considerations identified for
decommissioning were biodiversity enhancement, provision of reef habitat, and protection from bottom trawling, all of which are negatively affected by complete removal. We provide recommendations to guide the revision of offshore decommissioning policy, including a temporary suspension of obligatory removal.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	571-578
Journal	Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Volume	16
Issue number	10
Early online date	3 Jul 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1827
Publication status	Published - Dec 2018

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10.1002/fee.1827

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Fowler, A. M., Jørgensen, A. M., Svendsen, J. C., Macreadie, P. I., Jones, D. O. B., Boon, A. R., Booth, D. J., Brabant, R., Callahan, E., Claisse, J. T., Dahlgren, T. G., Degraer, S., Dokken, Q. R., Gill, A. B., Johns, D. G., Leewis, R. J., Lindeboom, H. J., Linden, O., May, R., ... Coolen, J. W. P. (2018). Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 16(10), 571-578. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1827

Fowler, Ashley M. ; Jørgensen, A.M. ; Svendsen, Jon C. ; Macreadie, Peter I. ; Jones, Daniel O.B. ; Boon, Arjen R. ; Booth, David J. ; Brabant, Robin ; Callahan, Emily ; Claisse, Jeremy T. ; Dahlgren, Thomas G. ; Degraer, Steven ; Dokken, Quenton R. ; Gill, Andrew B. ; Johns, David G. ; Leewis, Robert J. ; Lindeboom, Han J. ; Linden, Olof ; May, Roel ; Murk, Albertinka J. ; Ottersen, Geir ; Schroeder, Donna M. ; Shastri, Sunil M. ; Teilmann, Jonas ; Todd, Victoria ; Van Hoey, Gert ; Vanaverbeke, Jan ; Coolen, Joop W.P. / Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean. In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 2018 ; Vol. 16, No. 10. pp. 571-578.

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title = "Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean",

abstract = "The removal of thousands of structures associated with oil and gas development from the world{\textquoteright}s oceans is well underway, yet the environmental impacts of this decommissioning practice remain unknown. Similar impacts will be associated with the eventual removal of offshore wind turbines. We conducted a global survey of environmental experts to guide best decommissioning practices in the North Sea, a region with a substantial removal burden. In contrast to current regulations, 94.7% of experts (36 out of 38) agreed that a more flexible case-by- case approach to decommissioning could benefit the North Sea environment. Partial removal options were considered to deliver better environmental outcomes than complete removal for platforms, but both approaches were equally supported for wind turbines. Key considerations identified fordecommissioning were biodiversity enhancement, provision of reef habitat, and protection from bottom trawling, all of which are negatively affected by complete removal. We provide recommendations to guide the revision of offshore decommissioning policy, including a temporary suspension of obligatory removal.",

author = "Fowler, {Ashley M.} and A.M. J{\o}rgensen and Svendsen, {Jon C.} and Macreadie, {Peter I.} and Jones, {Daniel O.B.} and Boon, {Arjen R.} and Booth, {David J.} and Robin Brabant and Emily Callahan and Claisse, {Jeremy T.} and Dahlgren, {Thomas G.} and Steven Degraer and Dokken, {Quenton R.} and Gill, {Andrew B.} and Johns, {David G.} and Leewis, {Robert J.} and Lindeboom, {Han J.} and Olof Linden and Roel May and Murk, {Albertinka J.} and Geir Ottersen and Schroeder, {Donna M.} and Shastri, {Sunil M.} and Jonas Teilmann and Victoria Todd and {Van Hoey}, Gert and Jan Vanaverbeke and Coolen, {Joop W.P.}",

year = "2018",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1002/fee.1827",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

pages = "571--578",

journal = "Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment",

issn = "1540-9295",

publisher = "Ecological Society of America",

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Fowler, AM, Jørgensen, AM, Svendsen, JC, Macreadie, PI, Jones, DOB, Boon, AR, Booth, DJ, Brabant, R, Callahan, E, Claisse, JT, Dahlgren, TG, Degraer, S, Dokken, QR, Gill, AB, Johns, DG, Leewis, RJ, Lindeboom, HJ, Linden, O, May, R, Murk, AJ, Ottersen, G, Schroeder, DM, Shastri, SM, Teilmann, J, Todd, V, Van Hoey, G, Vanaverbeke, J & Coolen, JWP 2018, 'Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean', Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 16, no. 10, pp. 571-578. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.1827

Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean. / Fowler, Ashley M.; Jørgensen, A.M.; Svendsen, Jon C.; Macreadie, Peter I.; Jones, Daniel O.B.; Boon, Arjen R.; Booth, David J.; Brabant, Robin; Callahan, Emily; Claisse, Jeremy T.; Dahlgren, Thomas G.; Degraer, Steven; Dokken, Quenton R.; Gill, Andrew B.; Johns, David G.; Leewis, Robert J.; Lindeboom, Han J.; Linden, Olof; May, Roel; Murk, Albertinka J.; Ottersen, Geir; Schroeder, Donna M.; Shastri, Sunil M.; Teilmann, Jonas; Todd, Victoria; Van Hoey, Gert; Vanaverbeke, Jan; Coolen, Joop W.P.

In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Vol. 16, No. 10, 12.2018, p. 571-578.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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AU - Fowler, Ashley M.

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AU - Boon, Arjen R.

AU - Booth, David J.

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AU - Callahan, Emily

AU - Claisse, Jeremy T.

AU - Dahlgren, Thomas G.

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AU - Dokken, Quenton R.

AU - Gill, Andrew B.

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AU - Shastri, Sunil M.

AU - Teilmann, Jonas

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AB - The removal of thousands of structures associated with oil and gas development from the world’s oceans is well underway, yet the environmental impacts of this decommissioning practice remain unknown. Similar impacts will be associated with the eventual removal of offshore wind turbines. We conducted a global survey of environmental experts to guide best decommissioning practices in the North Sea, a region with a substantial removal burden. In contrast to current regulations, 94.7% of experts (36 out of 38) agreed that a more flexible case-by- case approach to decommissioning could benefit the North Sea environment. Partial removal options were considered to deliver better environmental outcomes than complete removal for platforms, but both approaches were equally supported for wind turbines. Key considerations identified fordecommissioning were biodiversity enhancement, provision of reef habitat, and protection from bottom trawling, all of which are negatively affected by complete removal. We provide recommendations to guide the revision of offshore decommissioning policy, including a temporary suspension of obligatory removal.

U2 - 10.1002/fee.1827

DO - 10.1002/fee.1827

M3 - Article

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JO - Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

JF - Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

SN - 1540-9295

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ER -

Environmental benefits of leaving offshore infrastructure in the ocean

Abstract

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