A floating wind turbine off Spain became an underwater farm for four species

Far out in the Atlantic, the concrete base of a floating wind turbine has been given an unusual second role. Instead of serving only as the underwater support for renewable energy equipment, parts of the structure are now carrying ropes, nets and collectors designed to grow marine species. Commercial divers attached equipment for oysters, clams, mussels and green algae to the submerged columns of the DemoSATH floating platform off Spain. The arrangement is part of a research trial looking at whether offshore wind infrastructure can accommodate aquaculture without interfering with its main purpose. It is a small-scale experiment, but the idea behind it is fairly simple: use the same patch of ocean for more than one activity while creating additional habitat beneath the turbine.Oysters, clam