We analyse how surface drifters separate after being released as pairs or triplets in close proximity to wind farms. There is some tentative evidence that these drifters experience turbulent flows arising from an interaction between tidal currents and wind turbine towers. However, more comprehensive studies would be needed to clearly distinguish such wind-farm-related effects from the effects of turbulence that naturally occurs in a complex coastal environment.

Six surface drifters were tracked in the inner German Bight for between 9 and 54 days. Corresponding simulations were conducted based on currents from two hydrodynamic models. Effects of including either a direct wind drag or simulated Stokes drift were similar during most of the time. Results suggest that main sources of simulation errors were inaccurate Eulerian currents and lacking representation of sub-grid-scale processes. Substantial model errors often occurred under low wind conditions.

The Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas (COSYNA) was established in order to better understand the complex interdisciplinary processes of northern seas and the Arctic coasts in a changing environment. Particular focus is given to the heavily used German Bight in the North Sea. The automated observing and modelling system is designed to monitor real-time conditions, to provide short-term forecasts and data products, and to assess the impact of anthropogenically induced change.