How would the proposed Humboldt offshore wind project affect the benthic?

The benthic zone is the bottom or lowest ecological zone (1) in the water where sediments lay that many organisms rely on for acquiring nutrients. Benthic habitats are complex, consisting of a combination of physical, chemical, and biological conditions that are home to a variety of invertebrates and make up the largest single ecosystem on earth. Furthermore, many species of commercial fish rely on the benthic for their food sources. 

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The proposed offshore wind farm in Humboldt raises concerns on how the projects development will affect local benthic zones. Examples of other offshore wind farms have disturbed these zones mainly during the construction phase through foundations, anchors, and cables. The pacific coast avoids many of the same disruptions from the turbine flotation technology being utilized which results in much of the typical construction phase being skipped. A main concern avoided is the pile driving (2) process, in which a heavy weight is lifted and dropped consecutively to drive foundations into substrate. This causes vibrations tinterfere with crucial organism behaviors.

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Humboldt renewable energy company, RNE, plans to utilize an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to survey the ocean floor (3). It will take high resolution images to create a detailed map of benthic habitats, allowing for better knowledge for how to mitigate impacts to those ecosystems. 

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Humboldt Wind Energy Area ​Bathymetry Map

Source: BOEM Sylvia van Royen (4)