16 
Part B - Technical instructions 
Table 1.1: Side scan sonar (SSS) survey of sediment and habitat structure and its 
dynamics. 
Baseline study 
Construction 
phase 
Operation phase 
Objectives 
Investigation of ground morpho 
logy and type of substratum for 
benthos programme planning, 
for determining a suitable refe 
rence area, for interpretation of 
benthos data and for demarca 
tion of habitat types protected 
by § 30 BNatSchG. 
Verification of images by grab 
sampling (ground truthing). 
Investigation of ground morpho 
logy and substratum for small and 
medium scale detection of rele 
vant impacts caused by wind tur 
bines. 
Scope 
SSS studies and ground truthing 
at seabed surface shall be con 
ducted in juncture with the geo 
logical investigations for a geo 
technical survey of wind turbine 
and cable route sites. 
The investigations shall be car 
ried out in both the project and 
the reference area and have to 
take into consideration the 
scope of the Geotechnical Site 
Investigation Standard (see Table 
4 and Table 10, BSH 2013). 
The survey results collected in 
the context of geological monito 
ring must be used for the ecolo 
gical evaluation of the sediment 
and habitat structure and its dy 
namics. 
SSS studies and ground truthing 
at seabed surface shall be con 
ducted in juncture with the geolo 
gical monitoring of wind turbines 
and cable routes. 
The investigations have to take 
into consideration the scope of 
the Geotechnical Site Investiga 
tion Standard (see Table 4 and Ta 
ble 10, BSH 2013). 
The survey results collected in the 
context of geological monitoring 
must be used for the ecological 
evaluation of the sediment and 
habitat structure and its dyna 
mics. 
Timing 
Once (see Geotechnical Site 
Investigation Standard, Table 4 
and Table 10, BSH 2013). 
In the third and fifth year of opera 
tion phase, in co-ordination with 
the annual geological monitoring 
(see Geotechnical Site Investiga 
tion Standard, Table 4 and Table 
10, BSH 2013). 
Method 
Carrying out of SSS studies and 
grab sampling (ground truthing) 
according to Geotechnical Site 
Investigation Standard (see 
Table 4 and Table 10, BSH 2013). 
Carrying out of SSS studies and 
grab sampling (ground truthing) 
according to Geotechnical Site In 
vestigation Standard (see Table 4 
and Table 10, BSH 2013). 
Presenta 
tion of 
results 
Compilation of ground morphology and substratum type maps: 
• GIS or CAD format (the data must be provided compatible with the xy standard). 
• Geodetic reference system: Lat/ Long (WGS 84). 
• Illustration of ground truthing stations. 
The station grid for the subsequent infauna programme shall be determined on the 
basis of the SSS results (see Table 1.3). 
Figure 1, p. 42 provides an assessment regarding the occurrence of homogeneous 
and heterogeneous sediments in the FEZ of the North Sea.