The development of offshore wind energy presents a number of potential effects to marine birds including collision, displacement, and habitat-mediated effects such as changes in prey. There are several frameworks and research questions that can help us better understand risks to marine birds from offshore wind development, including a risk assessment framework that combines our understanding of exposure and vulnerability to help determine relative risk within, and outside of, delineated wind energy areas, to inform siting of new wind energy areas off the United States eastern seaboard. In this webinar, we will present the current research and risk assessment frameworks related to marine birds and offshore wind development and will demonstrate the methods currently used to minimize risks and understand potential effects.
Speakers: Julia Stepanuk and Julia Gulka, Biodiversity Research Institute