Page 261 - Monitor News Today

Those voters consider inconvenient. its like saying that more people getting in the water means there arent anymore sharks. those things are not true. >> reporter: this is something were going to continue the monitor. theres less turmoil on the democratic side because abrams is running uncontested in her race. >> eva, thank you for that. diane, set the scene in alabama and whats happened with mo brooks. >> reporter: yeah, alison, all due respect to my colleagues in georgia, but whats happening i...

In this particular area, weve lost about 85% of our harbour seals. so, how do we protect them whilst quenching our thirst for clean energy? tidal has a role. the wind doesnt always blow. tidal always keeps going. perhaps this monitor is the answer. were at nigg, in the northeast of scotland. its about the length of a bus. crikey. yeah. and the blades go round... all under water as well. all under water, so vessels pass over the top. were eight metres underwater, the tip of the blade. this tidal ...

Which is the passive hydrophones, which are listening to the sounds that the animals make. and we can use those to pick up the sounds of porpoises and dolphins. ive also noticed this, douglas. yeah. then there is the great umbilical cable. so, the optical fibres that are bringing the data ashore are actually about as thick as a human hair. wow, 0k. but theyre inside all of this, with a whole load of steel clamped in there too, just to make it heavy enough to lie on the seafloor. but no—one sai...

John 0groats. its here that the monitor will be sunk underwater and installed on the seabed next to the turbine. when its connected, the signal will run through underwater cables to this substation here. this is a test deployment we did a couple of summers ago in another tidally energetic area on the west coast of scotland. youll see that theres some moving targets down here. these are small fish that we see quite close to the sonar. and what we see here is this bright target coming in. this is ...

Of these habitats, how are theyre using these highly tidal areas around the north coast of scotland. and we are certainly seeing that these areas do seem to be important for harbour seals around this area. and indeed, we do see animals coming relatively close to the turbines, but its really that fine scale behaviour that were really interested in. what do animals do when they really come close to the turbines? to answer this unknown, sinking a monitor next to a turbine might be key. so, douglas,...

Oh, yeah. we have one on the end of the slip down here, yeah. so, some of the initial research was actually designed to look at how animals are actually using some of these habitats, how are they using these highly tidal areas around the north coast of scotland. and we are certainly seeing that these areas do seem to be important for harbour seals around this area. and indeed, we do see animals coming relatively close to the turbines, but its really that fine scale behaviour that were really int...

Its absolutely terrifying, yeah, because this thing is going to go down and its going to get plugged in, and its going to work or its not going to work. this is about balancing technology with nature. this particular area, we have lost about 85%. so, how do we protect them while quenching our thirst for clean energy? tidal has a role. the wind doesnt always blow, tidal always keeps going. perhaps this monitor is the answer. were at nigg in the north—east of scotland. its about the length of a ...

Its absolutely terrifying, yeah, because this things going to go down and its going to get plugged in, and its going to work or its not going to work. this is about balancing technology with nature. in this particular area, weve lost about 85% of our harbour seals. so, how do we protect them whilst quenching our thirst for clean energy? tidal has a role. the wind doesnt always blow. tidal always keeps going. - perhaps this monitor is the answer. were at nigg, in the northeast of scotland. its ab...

And the question is then, as the flow increases and the turbine goes into production and the blades spin faster, do the fish remain, do the predators come back, do we have an impact on those predators, and is it a detrimental impact? and its crucial to develop these kinds of turbines in a way that doesnt harm these creatures, which are already under threat from other factors. we are certainly seeing that these areas seem to be important for harbour seals around this area and, indeed, we do see a...

This has been in the water for about two years. this turbine does get barnacle growth on it and that does become food for fish. during slack tide, there are fish around these turbines. which would attract these mammals. which would attract predators. and the question is, then, as the flow increases and the turbine goes into production and the blades spin faster, do the fish remain, do the predators come back, do we have an impact on those predators, and is it a detrimental impact? and its crucia...