Underwater acoustic monitoring equipment has been deployed off Scotland’s east coast as part of a two-year study aimed at improving the understanding of minke whale activity in areas being considered for offshore wind farms’ export cable routes.
The work, led by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), is focused on the Southern Trench Marine Protected Area (MPA) off the Aberdeenshire coast, where several offshore wind developments are planning grid connection infrastructure.
The study is being funded by the ScotWind projects Broadshore Offshore Wind Farm , Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm and Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm , together with Crown Estate Scotland and NatureScot. The developers said the research is intended to support the design of mitigation measures for offshore wind projects while contributing to the protection of marine species in Scottish waters.
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The Southern Trench MPA was designated to protect a known population of minke whales, although researchers say limited data currently exists on the timing they arrive and the extent of their presence in the area.
According to SAMS, the passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) campaign will establish baseline data on the seasonal presence and movement of minke whales before offshore wind-related work begins in the area.
The monitoring equipment, including underwater broadband acoustic recorders and acoustic release units, has been deployed at three locations within the marine protected area using vessels operated by Marine Environmental Solutions.
“So far, our team has successfully retrieved and re-deployed three acoustic devices covering the summer and autumn of 2025 in the Southern Trench marine protected area as we seek to better understand the habits of these magnificent marine mammals”, said Anja Wittich , project manager at SAMS Enterprise.
“With the information we can provide the best insights possible into the minke whale movements and can then take the necessary steps to understand potential impacts.”