227
• Service loss parameters from the injury
• This suite of parameters is composed of the
actual size of the injured area and level and
duration of habitat loss from the point in time
of injury until recovery if applicable.
• Service gain parameters from the compensatory action (restoration)
• These parameters consist of the level and
duration of services gained due to compensatory action for the period analyzed.
Given these parameters as inputs, the Visual_
HEA software applies the standard HEA method
and displays the results of analysis within a
detailed viewer, showing different data and their
representation (visually).
2.4
Improvements to Visual_HEA
The French version of Visual_HEA developed in
collaboration with Nova Southeastern University
(Matt Johnston and Dick Dodge) and the laboratory CEFE–University Montpellier 3 (Fanny
Berger and Sylvain Pioch) retains the same overall parameter inputs, interface structure, and
processing algorithms as version 2.5, with added
enhancements that allow the software to adhere
to established French government guidelines.
While producing this new version, several software bugs were also identifi ed and addressed. All
enhancements and fi xed bugs, made to the software, were also applied to the English language
version of the software and both designated as
version 2.6 (French and English versions,
respectively).
3
Applications and Results
for Experimental Case Study:
Impact Mitigation
for Fictitious Case
of Offshore Windmill Project
To test this new version of Visual_HEA 2.6_FR,
here exposed is an experimental case study for an
offshore windmill project located in tempered
sea area (ground dominated by scallops and
sandy bottom habitat).
3.1
Sizing a Compensatory
Mitigation: Fictitious Offshore
Windmill Project
For this case study in application of HEA software, we propose to size the compensatory mitigation of an offshore windmill project. The main
impacted socioeconomical sector will be the fi sheries of scallops. The main impacted ecosystem
will be the sandy bottom habitat, represented by
a dominant species: the scallops ( Pecten sp. ).
3.1.1 Material
The project will be held in a temperate coastal
water area. The renewable energy infrastructure
is constituted by 100 windmill foundations, distributed within an area around 77 km
2
. At the feet
of each offshore windmill, a concrete block is
installed on the sea ground as anchorage, with an
acreage of 10 × 10 m for 100 m
2
. The total surface
destroyed is 100 (foundation) × 100 m
2 (each surfaces destroyed) for 10000 m
2 , or 1 ha.
The destruction is total (100 % of ecosystem
services and ecological functions lost), without
any future access from the benthic fauna and
fl ora for a soft bottom: the sand is replaced by an
artifi cial hard bottom surface (the concrete of the
foundation). After the previous impact, the level
of services is considered to be 0 % (all the marine
habitat and species are destroyed under the
foundation).
The proxy species,
8 keystone ecological species, for this kind of sandy bottom habitat, is the
scallop ( Pecten sp. ). It also mainly insures services of provisioning (fi sheries) and regulating
with water fi ltration and purifi cation for a healthy
ecosystem (fi shing, fl ora and fauna life, etc.).
This species needs good hydromorphologic and
water quality and that is a strong economic asset.
There are also several studies and data about this
species, especially from halieutics studies.
The metric used to assess the chosen proxy is
the number of scallops by m
2 . The average level
of scallops per square meter is around 0.67/m
2 in
8 Proxy species: other species are dependent with them.
They represent a good ecological indicator.
How to Size “Fair” Compensatory Mitigation Due to Coastal Area Destruction…
• Service loss parameters from the injury
• This suite of parameters is composed of the
actual size of the injured area and level and
duration of habitat loss from the point in time
of injury until recovery if applicable.
• Service gain parameters from the compensatory action (restoration)
• These parameters consist of the level and
duration of services gained due to compensatory action for the period analyzed.
Given these parameters as inputs, the Visual_
HEA software applies the standard HEA method
and displays the results of analysis within a
detailed viewer, showing different data and their
representation (visually).
2.4
Improvements to Visual_HEA
The French version of Visual_HEA developed in
collaboration with Nova Southeastern University
(Matt Johnston and Dick Dodge) and the laboratory CEFE–University Montpellier 3 (Fanny
Berger and Sylvain Pioch) retains the same overall parameter inputs, interface structure, and
processing algorithms as version 2.5, with added
enhancements that allow the software to adhere
to established French government guidelines.
While producing this new version, several software bugs were also identifi ed and addressed. All
enhancements and fi xed bugs, made to the software, were also applied to the English language
version of the software and both designated as
version 2.6 (French and English versions,
respectively).
3
Applications and Results
for Experimental Case Study:
Impact Mitigation
for Fictitious Case
of Offshore Windmill Project
To test this new version of Visual_HEA 2.6_FR,
here exposed is an experimental case study for an
offshore windmill project located in tempered
sea area (ground dominated by scallops and
sandy bottom habitat).
3.1
Sizing a Compensatory
Mitigation: Fictitious Offshore
Windmill Project
For this case study in application of HEA software, we propose to size the compensatory mitigation of an offshore windmill project. The main
impacted socioeconomical sector will be the fi sheries of scallops. The main impacted ecosystem
will be the sandy bottom habitat, represented by
a dominant species: the scallops ( Pecten sp. ).
3.1.1 Material
The project will be held in a temperate coastal
water area. The renewable energy infrastructure
is constituted by 100 windmill foundations, distributed within an area around 77 km
2
. At the feet
of each offshore windmill, a concrete block is
installed on the sea ground as anchorage, with an
acreage of 10 × 10 m for 100 m
2
. The total surface
destroyed is 100 (foundation) × 100 m
2 (each surfaces destroyed) for 10000 m
2 , or 1 ha.
The destruction is total (100 % of ecosystem
services and ecological functions lost), without
any future access from the benthic fauna and
fl ora for a soft bottom: the sand is replaced by an
artifi cial hard bottom surface (the concrete of the
foundation). After the previous impact, the level
of services is considered to be 0 % (all the marine
habitat and species are destroyed under the
foundation).
The proxy species,
8 keystone ecological species, for this kind of sandy bottom habitat, is the
scallop ( Pecten sp. ). It also mainly insures services of provisioning (fi sheries) and regulating
with water fi ltration and purifi cation for a healthy
ecosystem (fi shing, fl ora and fauna life, etc.).
This species needs good hydromorphologic and
water quality and that is a strong economic asset.
There are also several studies and data about this
species, especially from halieutics studies.
The metric used to assess the chosen proxy is
the number of scallops by m
2 . The average level
of scallops per square meter is around 0.67/m
2 in
8 Proxy species: other species are dependent with them.
They represent a good ecological indicator.
How to Size “Fair” Compensatory Mitigation Due to Coastal Area Destruction…