The INSITE Programme is an innovative European-wide research programme that has so far delivered 18 projects with 17 research institutes from the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Norway. Launched in 2014, as the first joint industry partnership between academia and oil and gas operators in the North Sea, INSITE is delivering focused research to provide the independent scientific evidence base to better understand the influence of man-made structures (MMS) on the North Sea ecosystem.

As part of the INSITE Impact Webinar series, policy briefs have been developed from the first three webinars in the series (further outputs are also available from the link above including a copy of the webinars and related podcasts) which follow these themes:

1. The Marine Biodiversity policy briefing presents findings from the INSITE projects, DREAMS, Synthesis, CHASANS and NS3D. One notable consensus emerging from the evidence gathered is a recognition that the complete decommissioning and removal of Man-Made Structures (MMS) may not be a suitable one-size-fits-all option, and that there may be more benefits from partial removal strategies and incorporating protective structures to improve biodiversity and ecosystem service provision.

2. The Environmental Restoration and Net Gain policy briefing, based on the CHASANs, DREAMS, Synthesis, and FuECoMMS projects presented findings indicating that retained offshore infrastructure can support the development of biological communities that deliver ecosystem services, such as food sources, carbon sequestration, nursery habitats, as well as providing de-facto no take zones for fisheries, which may promote more healthy, biologically diverse seas in these areas.

3. The Offshore Wind policy briefing, based on the CHASANs, FISHPAMMS and EcoSTAR projects demonstrates that offshore wind structures can offer opportunities for biodiversity enhancement, however, all projects focus on exploring the intricate ecological relationships associated with MMS and their impact on the wider ecosystem.

There will be further policy briefings later in the year: on Cumulative Effects Assessment, Commercial Fisheries and Marine Monitoring. The next webinar will be on INSITE’s into Commercial Fisheries on the 31^st of October (register here).