An increasing number of pipelines across the UK Continental Shelf are reaching the end of their economic life, resulting in a growing impetus on decommissioning. Implicit to the decommissioning process is the evaluation of the environmental impacts of the different decommissioning options, however little is known regarding the epifauna that interact with these structures. This study utilized industry-collected footage from remotely operated vehicle inspections of pipelines to assess the interactions of benthic epifauna with pipelines, and their associated structures, for the first time. Footage was analysed from across the northern and central North Sea to examine relationships between faunal community compositions and pipelines and their protective coverings. The complex habitat of concrete and Link-lok mattresses had the highest numbers of observable taxa. Differences in community composition were largely due to varying proportions of common epilithic species. There was a weak relationship between pipeline covering type and the species composition of the immediately neighbouring substrate. Depth and latitude were the strongest correlators with the observed community compositions. This study has compiled the first dataset on epifaunal associations with subsea pipelines in the North Sea.

中文翻译：

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与北海海底管道有关的动物

英国大陆架上越来越多的管道即将达到其经济寿命，从而导致退役的动力越来越大。退役过程的隐含含义是对不同退役方案对环境的影响的评估，但是对于与这些结构相互作用的表生动物了解甚少。这项研究首次利用了从管道的远程操作车辆检查中收集到的行业镜头，首次评估了底栖动物与管道及其相关结构的相互作用。从北海和北海中部对镜头进行了分析，以检查动物群落组成与管道及其保护性覆盖物之间的关系。混凝土和Link-lok床垫的复杂栖息地可观察到的分类单元数量最多。群落组成的差异主要是由于常见上石器物种的比例不同。管道覆盖类型与紧邻的基质的物种组成之间的关系很弱。深度和纬度与观察到的群落组成最相关。这项研究已经编制了第一个关于表皮动物与北海海底管道相关的数据集。深度和纬度与观察到的群落组成最相关。这项研究汇编了第一个关于表皮动物与北海海底管道相关的数据集。深度和纬度与观察到的群落组成最相关。这项研究汇编了第一个关于表皮动物与北海海底管道相关的数据集。