Fish

Migratory Fish

Migratory fish can be defined as fish that follow predictable movements and migration patterns throughout their life cycle. A classic example of a migratory fish would be salmon, which leave their native rivers and springs towards the ocean as juveniles, but return on a yearly basis to spawn in their native rivers. While these fish are not present during all times of operation, when they are they can be in great numbers. The risk posed by offshore renewable energy stressors on migratory fish depends on various factors such as the affected species, life stage, population level of affected species, and scale of project. The most important issue pertaining to migratory fish is to understand the dynamic effects of the technology, assessing the acoustic outputs of the devices and evaluating electromagnetic fields associated with energy generation.

Resident Fish

Resident fish can be defined as those saltwater fish that do not migrate. It is important to note that while these fish do not undergo long distance migrations, they do have daily, tidal, and seasonal movements. Examples of resident fish can be sharks and rays, rockfish or flatfish. Resident fish can be affected by the same stressors as migratory fish including dynamic physical presence, acoustic output of the device and EMF. While they can be affected by the same stressors as migratory fish, resident fish may be more susceptible to exposure which can potentially increase their risks.