Evaluating change in biodiversity at local and regional ecosytem scale

Advance understanding of the impact of offshore wind structures on biodiversity at local and regional ecosystem scale, with the overall aim of evaluating net biodiversity change over lifetime of wind farms (i.e. evolution over 0 - 30 years). Effects of individual wind farms and cumulative sites should be considered.

•           Monitor and assess shifts in community types, increases in biomass and changes in predator-prey interactions at local and regional ecosystem scale.

•           Consider the consequences of increase in hard substrata environments and loss of soft sedimentary habitat and the ecological function and connectivity of such change at regional scale with comparison of consequences from standard rock protection and reef cube technologies.

•           Analyse species/habitats richness and diversity, the functionality of ecosystems and interconnections of the food web. 

•           Consider long term consequences of biodiversity enhancement measures, such as seagrass/oyster bed etc.

•           Identify influencing local factors such as such as sediment type, bathymetry, tidal currents etc.

It is envisaged that the project will include use of both traditional and novel monitoring techniques and include a comparative study of resulting data sets. Additionally modelling to predict future biodiversity change at less mature sites would be useful.

The outputs of this work have potential to contribute to the following:

•           Integration of environmental considerations into infrastructure location & design to achieve a net increase in biodiversity.

•           Compensate ecosystem functions by providing alternative resources for affected species.

•           Informing evidence-based, multi-criteria approach to decommissioning

•           Informing future monitoring priorities

•           Informing Marine Spatial Planning

Candidates wishing to apply should complete the University of Liverpool application form [How to apply for a PhD - University of Liverpool] applying for a PhD in **Civil Engineering** and uploading: Degree Certificates & Transcripts, an up-to-date CV, a covering letter/personal statement which will be one page of A4 stating interest in project and why you want to study with the N0MES CDT, and two academic references.