Photo Gallery Tormented by Turbines
Researchers have found that the racket made by the construction of an offshore wind farm in the North Sea scared off porpoises living in the area.
The offshore wind farm Alpha Ventus has a total of 12 wind turbines in an area of about 4 square kilometres (1.5 square miles). Klaus Lucke of the Büsum-based Research and Technology Centre Westcoast (FTZ) called for measures to protect the vulnerable mammals from the piercing noise of future building sites.
The wind farm is designed to provide electricity for about 55,000 households.
The wind farm officially went into operation in April. Reseachers are studying the impact of Alpha Ventus on various aspects of the marine environment, including fish, marine mammals, seabed organisms and migratory birds.
