This study examines the potential impact of offshore wind energy facilities on the local and regional circulation, stratification, and scallop larval dispersal and settlement over the U.S. Northeast continental shelf. A coupled high-resolution (up to ∼ 1.0 m), wind turbine-resolving hydrodynamical (NS-FVCOM) and scallop individual-based (Scallop-IBM) model was employed. Comparisons were made for scenarios with and without wind turbine generators (WTGs), encompassing three-dimensional flow fields, water temperature, bottom stress/vertical mixing, scallop larval dispersal, settlement, and distributions. The interaction of M tidal currents with monopiles generates significant horizontal flow shear on the downflow lee side. The fluid–structure interaction-induced mesoscale currents deviate substantially from the idealized flow fields examined typically in the device-scale laboratory or coarse-grid hydrodynamical models with subgrid-scale explicit parametrizations. Stratification induces noteworthy changes in the flow around individual monopiles throughout the water column, with the maximum bottom stress primarily oriented in the onshore-offshore direction and vertical eddy viscosity occurring around all directions of individual monopiles. The deployment of a WTG array amplifies offshore low-frequency subtidal flow around 40 to 50-m isobaths, forming mesoscale eddies over the shelf. This enhanced flow contributes to offshore water transport, redirecting scallop larvae toward the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area (NLCA). The accumulation of larvae in the NLCA is attributed to eddy-induced retention.

中文翻译：

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海上风能开发对美国东北陆架物理过程和扇贝幼体扩散的潜在影响

本研究探讨了海上风能设施对美国东北大陆架局部和区域环流、分层以及扇贝幼体扩散和沉降的潜在影响。采用耦合高分辨率（高达 ∼ 1.0 m）、风力涡轮机解析流体动力学（NS-FVCOM）和基于扇贝个体（Scallop-IBM）的模型。对有和没有风力涡轮发电机 (WTG) 的场景进行了比较，包括三维流场、水温、底部应力/垂直混合、扇贝幼体扩散、沉降和分布。 M 潮流与单桩的相互作用在下流背风侧产生显着的水平流剪切。流固相互作用引起的中尺度电流与通常在设备规模实验室或具有亚网格尺度显式参数化的粗网格流体动力学模型中检查的理想化流场存在很大偏差。分层导致整个水柱中各个单桩周围的流动发生显着变化，最大底部应力主要集中在陆上-离岸方向，垂直涡粘性发生在各个单桩的所有方向周围。 WTG 阵列的部署放大了 40 至 50 米等深线周围的近海低频潮下流，在陆架上形成中尺度涡流。这种增强的水流有助于近海水域运输，将扇贝幼虫重新引导至楠塔基特灯船禁区 (NLCA)。 NLCA 中幼虫的积累归因于涡流引起的滞留。