Evidence that offshore wind farms might affect marine sediment quality and microbial communities

Abstract

Offshore wind power is a typical example of clean energy production and plays a critical role in achieving carbon neutrality. Offshore wind farms can have an impact on the marine environment, especially sedimentary environments, but their influence on sediments remain largely unknown. This study, which uses the control-impact principle to define different areas, investigated the characteristics of marine sediments under the Putidao offshore wind farm in Bohai Bay, China. We used chemical and microbiological observations to evaluate sediment quality and microbial community structure. According to both the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) indexes, copper, chromium and zinc were the major contaminants in the offshore wind farm sediments. The pollution load index (PLI) index showed that the various sites on the wind farm were only lightly polluted compared with baseline values. Closer to the wind farm's center, the metal concentrations started to rise. The physicochemical features of the sediments could better explain changes in the microorganisms present, and screening the microbiomes showed a correlation with heavy metal levels, linking the relative abundance of microorganisms to the sediment quality index. This comprehensive study fills a knowledge gap in China and adds to our understanding of how to assess the sedimentary environments of offshore wind farms.