TROPHIK Modelling the impact of wind farms on the trophic functioning of the coastal ecosystem

The aim of the TROPHIK project is:

- To model the current functioning of the global ecosystem (trophic network) at the site of the future Courseulles-sur-Mer wind farm and to subsequently extend it to take account of currents and displacements of marine populations in the whole of the bay of the Seine and beyond, from the Barfleur headland as far as Picardy.

- To analyse the sensitivity of this functioning to the potential effects of the construction and operation of wind turbines.

- To analyse the cumulative impact of diverse human activities (fishing, aggregate extraction and dumping of dredged material) as they interact and combined with the influence of climate change that is altering the distribution ranges of species – commercial species in particular – frequenting these ecosystems.

Experts in human sciences will be involved in analysing the results of the TROPHIK project with a view to developing communication tools designed to promote the social acceptability of MREs.