Abstract
Management and planning is essential for the sustainable development of offshore renewable energy (ORE) industries and aquaculture. The worldwide increase of demand for both industries requires developing efficient tools to optimize the use of the offshore space. The synergetic development of marine renewable energy infrastructure with mariculture has been hypothesized as a way to share services and reduce costs. In the Irish Sea, blue mussels (mytilus edulis L.) represent 40% to 50 % of the total gross turnover of Welsh shellfish industries and the industry has been operating sustainably for over 50 years in North Wales. Also, the strong tidal currents (> 2m/s) occurring in North Wales, make this area an attractive place for the development of tidal renewable energy projects. In this context, it is a scientific and economical interest to study the potential impact of ORE on larvae recruitment. A numerical approach has been developed using hydrodynamic model coupled with particle tracking model, which allowed to simulate tidal currents, wind-driven currents and larval dispersal. Results show: 1) interannual variability of density distribution of larvae; 2) variability of site impact on density distribution; and 3) strong connectivity between commercial shellfish beds and ORE sites. This study show the importance to choose adequately were to install ORE in order to: 1) reduce biofouling on ORE infrastructures and/or 2) develop multi-use platforms at sea to combine needs for ORE and for mariculture.