Abstract
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is a Steering Group member and jointly supports the secretariat function of the Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme for Ocean Energy (ORJIP OE). ORJIP OE is a UK-wide collaborative programme formed to ensure that environmental research conducted by the ocean energy sector will ultimately reduce the consenting risks associated with developing wave, tidal stream and tidal range projects.
As part of EMEC’s role in the joint secretariat, Aquatera Limited has contracted EMEC to provide a short summary of the opportunities, issues and challenges associated with sharing environmental monitoring data. EMEC has based this report on the practical experience it has gained since the centre’s sites were established in 2003.
The report has been prepared to provide an industry perspective on the topic and compliments the ORJIP OE Wave and Tidal Critical Evidence Needs report (2020). The topics considered within the report include:
- The key barriers to sharing environmental monitoring data and identifying the challenges that are required to be overcome.
- The issues associated with the drivers for academic research versus developer-led monitoring work, including an overview of how monitoring is typically funded and eventually carried out.
- A good practice example of sharing and disseminating environmental monitoring data.
- Opportunities and solutions for overcoming the key barriers identified.