BISAR (Biodiversity Information of benthic Species at ARtificial structures) is the first international, harmonized, and quality-checked dataset to map out the biodiversity found on and around wind turbines, oil rigs, and research platforms in the southern North Sea. Led by Jennifer Dannheim, Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany, and developed by the Working Group on Marine Benthal and Renewable Energy Developments (WGMBRED), the BISAR database is a milestone in marine biodiversity research.
The recently published paper, Biodiversity Information of benthic Species at ARtificial structures – BISAR, presents the first data collection by BISAR - almost 4000 samples across 34 artificial sites. However, what makes BISAR innovative is not just its scale, but its ambition. It blends decades of fragmented data into a coherent, usable framework. The structures surveyed include offshore wind farms, oil and gas platforms, and even a unique natural reef, the Borkum Reef Grounds, offering a rare opportunity to compare artificial and natural benthic communities.
Filling the gap
Behind this achievement is the expertise and collaboration of WGMBRED. These scientists recognized a critical gap: despite the global boom in offshore energy infrastructure, our understanding of how these structures affect marine ecosystems remained patchy and inconsistent. WGMBRED not only compiled the data, they harmonized taxonomic records, standardized metadata, and developed tools to ensure future usability and comparability.
The result is more than a static archive. BISAR is a living, growing resource, now hosted on the CRITTERBASE platform, with an ongoing open call for new data from around the world. It's already being used to study ecological impacts of decommissioning, to compare artificial versus natural reef systems, and to shape marine policy and planning.
"We hope that the BISAR data collection is only the starting point, says Dannheim, "The offshore wind farm industry is rapidly increasing and thus the amount of data we can compile to better understand the effects of wind turbines on the benthos grows as well, in both time and space. Particularly long-term effects are understudied, and BISAR might contribute in the future to understanding effects on a larger scale."
Dannheim hopes that stakeholders from other disciplines can also use the data, integrating it with other research to understand the influence of artificial structures from an ecosystem perspective.
A living database
“We have an open call for data for BISAR, which runs as a Term of reference in WGMBRED, says Ninon Mavraki, co-chair of WGMBRED, "Our goal is to continue collecting and importing data from offshore artificial structures (or offshore areas) in BISAR. We hope that in the end, BISAR will contain data not only from the North Sea, but from the entire world."
For science, industry, and environmental decision-makers alike, BISAR opens up unprecedented possibilities. And for anemones, worms, molluscs and other lesser-known residents of the ocean living on the steel legs of a turbine or a research platform, it means their role in the new marine landscape is finally being understood.
The Working Group on Marine Benthal and Renewable Energy Developments (WGMBRED) looks at benthal and renewable energy-related research, cause-effect relationships and develops guidelines to aid future research. The BISAR database can be found on CRITTERBASE - read the full paper Biodiversity Information of benthic Species at ARtificial structures – BISAR online.
