Baseline data on the harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, in relation to the intended wind farm site NSW, in the Netherlands

To evaluate the possible impact of the planned Near Shore Wind (NSW) farm on harbour porpoises, a baseline study has been carried out to provide a thorough description of the ecological reference situation. Three methods were used to collect baseline data on harbour porpoise in the intended wind farm area as well as reference areas. Firstly, during a whole year echolocation sounds of the animals were collected via fixed hydrophones, so-called T-PODs. This will provide information on relative density of porpoises. Secondly, bi-monthly ship surveys were conducted to obtain an estimate for density. Finally, hydrophones were towed behind the survey ship to corroborate the visual data. These studies proved that porpoises frequently occurred in the target area and also in the control sites. Intensity of the porpoise activity was clearly higher in winter months. Observations surpass the expectations with respect to the amount of animals and recording.