As a result, the eminent biologist who runs the centre, Dr Robin Crump, was presented with a unique "before and after" study which is providing valuable information about the precise impact of oil on the life of the sea-shore.
Above sea level, the offshore structure has been bolted together with a conventional offshore turbine of the sort used for near-shore wind farms that are bolted to the sea-bed.
Moreover, onshore production of floating turbines that are then towed offshore to be anchored in place should prove cheaper than the weather-restricted and costly off-shore construction of sea-bed turbines.