Seaforth has significant experience in conducting desktop studies includes projects for cable route surveys, offshore wind farms, geological site assessments, and tidal turbine site assessments / turbine micro-siting.
A typical desktop study involves collating and parsing datasets relating to a designated area of interest by a client. Depending on the topic & region being researched, datasets utilized include (but are not limited to):
- Geological (paleo to modern-day geological history and setting, glacial history, modern sediment processes & morphology, seismicity, faulting, mass wasting, geo-hazards, etc.)
- Pre-existing Geophysical (multibeam sonar bathymetric, sidescan sonar, shallow and deep seismic, etc.)
- Pre-existing Geotechnical (sediment core & seabed grab samples, cone penetrometer testing, seabed photos, laboratory geotechnical/geochemical analysis, etc.)
- Meteorological (wave & wind intensity and directionality, seasonal data/patterns, precipitation, tidal currents, salinity, terrestrial and water temperature, etc.)
- Anthropogenic (nautical charts, commercial fishing activities/practices, shipping patterns/traffic, shipwrecks, offshore dump sites, existing infrastructure, recreation, etc.)
- Biological (Species at Risk areas, Marine Protected Areas, endangered species, critical & restricted habitat, marine mammal sightings, etc.)
- *On-site, field visits (photographs, geological observations and samples, topographical mapping, community knowledge, etc.)
*On-site visits are an optional scope at the behest of the client or in collaboration with Seaforth. These field visits to the specific area of interest provide invaluable information likely not present in researched datasets. Seaforth has undertaken these visits as collaborative, community engagement activities with clients, and as strictly field investigation of sites. Community insight coupled with experienced Seaforth personnel and existing research provides the most robust compilation of information for chosen sites.
Open-source data repositories, usually hosted by government organizations, open scientific reports and research papers are a rich source of data. When necessary, purchased datasets are also used. All data is properly referenced, compiled, and submitted as cited work with the submission of the study. Seaforth utilizes GIS software and CAD to digitize, validate, collate, analyze, package and present datasets to clients. Seaforth also utilizes both GIS and / or CAD for charting
Notable projects
- Scotian Shelf Offshore Wind Desktop Study
- Nova East Wind Geological & Geotechnical Desktop Study
- Optimum Site Selection for Tidal Energy Development