On the biological connectivity of oil and gas platforms in the North Sea.
Tests are made of the conjecture that the platforms in the North Sea are biologically connected, with organisms originating from some platforms reaching and substantially augmenting those at others so that, together, the platforms effectively form a sort of artificial reef. The M₂ tide results in a relatively rapid transfer of organisms between neighbouring platforms. Some 60% of platforms in the southern UK Sector are directly connected by tidal flows. Such connection in the northern Sector is relatively rare, about 23% of platforms being connected. Mean flows connect platforms in 'strings' sharing a common streamline spread by turbulent dispersion. Metrics are devised to indicate how well a particular platform is connected to others. Strings are broken when contributions to the concentration of organisms from platforms fall below detection limits. Many platforms are likely to be connected in strings in the southern UK Sector, but relatively few in the northern Sector.
School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK. oss413@sos.bangor.ac.uk
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Thorpe
D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry; D059206:Natural Gas; D009659:North Sea; D010578:Petroleum; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014872:Water Movements
D059206:Natural Gas; D010578:Petroleum