The evidence base for habitat change consists of 40 key documents that define what we understand about the effects of marine renewable energy devices on benthic and pelagic habitats. The initial evidence base was presented and reviewed in an online Expert Forum in 2020. Additional information on habitat change can be found in the 2024 State of the Science (Chapter 3), the 2020 State of the Science Report (Chapter 6), and the Tethys Knowledge Base.
View the other evidence bases for risk retirement here.
| Title | Author | Date Sort ascending | Content Type | Technology | Stressor | Receptor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key Biofouling Organisms in Tidal Habitats Targeted by the Offshore Renewable Energy Sector in the North Atlantic Include the Massive Barnacle Chirona hameri | Want, A., Goubard, A., Jonveaux, S., Leaver, D., Bell, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction, Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| No Observed Effects of Subsea Renewable Energy Infrastructure on Benthic Environments | Smyth, D., Kregting, L. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Habitat Change | Physical Environment | |
| Environmental Impact Assessment: Wave Swell Energy Test Site, Grassy Harbour, King Island, Tasmania | Marine Solutions | Report | Marine Energy, Wave | Changes in Flow, Habitat Change | Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment | |
| Tidal streams, fish, and seabirds: Understanding the linkages between mobile predators, prey, and hydrodynamics | Couto, A., Williamson, B., Cornulier, T., Fernandes, P., Fraser, S., Chapman, J., Davies, I., Scott, B. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction, Changes in Flow, Habitat Change | Birds, Seabirds, Fish | |
| Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery to Characterise Pursuit-Diving Seabird Association With Tidal Stream Hydrodynamic Habitat Features | Slingsby, J., Scott, B., Kregting, L., McIlvenny, J., Wilson, J., Yanez, M., Langlois, S., Williamson, B. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Changes in Flow, Habitat Change | Birds, Seabirds | |
| What’s in My Toolkit? A Review of Technologies for Assessing Changes in Habitats Caused by Marine Energy Development | Hemery, L., Mackereth, K., Tugade, L. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Habitat Change | ||
| Quantifying the effects of tidal turbine array operations on the distribution of marine mammals: Implications for collision risk | Onoufriou, J., Russell, D., Thompson, D., Moss, S., Hastie, G. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Avoidance, Collision | Marine Mammals, Pinnipeds | |
| Shetland Tidal Array Monitoring Report: Subsea video monitoring | Smith, K. | Report | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Noise | Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals | |
| Tidal stream use by black guillemots Cepphus grylle in relation to a marine renewable energy development | Johnston, D., Furness, R., Robbins, A., Tyler, G., McIlvenny, J., Masden, E. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Collision, Habitat Change | Birds, Seabirds | |
| A bird's-eye view on turbulence: seabird foraging associations with evolving surface flow features | Lieber, L., Langrock, R., Nimmo-Smith, A. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction, Changes in Flow | Birds, Seabirds | |
| Colonisation of wave power foundations by mobile mega- and macrofauna – a 12 year study | Bender, A., Langhamer, O., Sundberg, J. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Attraction, Habitat Change | Fish, Invertebrates | |
| Investigating biophysical linkages at tidal energy candidate sites: a case study for combining environmental assessment and resource characterisation | Scherelis, C., Penesis, I., Hemer, M., Cossu, R., Wright, J., Guihen, D. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction, Habitat Change | Physical Environment, Fish, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment | |
| Renewable energy homes for marine life: Habitat potential of a tidal energy project for benthic megafauna | Taormina, B., Laurans, M., Marzloff, M., Dufournaud, N., Lejart, M., Desroy, N., Leroy, D., Martin, S., Carlier, A. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Habitat Change | Physical Environment, Fish, Invertebrates | |
| Succession in epibenthic communities on artificial reefs associated with marine renewable energy facilities within a tide-swept environment | Taormina, B., Percheron, A., Marzloff, M., Caisey, X., Quillienn, N., Lejart, M., Desroy, N., Dugornay, O., Tancray, A., Carlier, A. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction, Habitat Change | Fish, Invertebrates | |
| Modelling the impact of tidal range energy on species communities | Baker, A., Craighead, R., Jarvis, E., Stenton, H., Angeloudis, A., Mackie, L., Avdis, A., Piggott, M., Hill, J. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Changes in Flow, Habitat Change | Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates | |
| Marine Biofouling: A European Database for the Marine Renewable Energy Sector | Vinagre, P., Simas, T., Cruz, E., Pinori, E., Svenson, J. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction | Invertebrates | |
| Benthic effects of offshore renewables: identification of knowledge gaps and urgently needed research | Dannheim, J., Bergström, L., Birchenough, S., Brzana, R., Boon, A., Coolen, J., Dauvin, J., De Mesel, I., Derweduwen, J., Gill, A., Hutchison, Z., Jackson, A., Janas, U., Martin, G., Raoux, A., Reubens, L., Rostin, L., Vanaverbeke, J., Wilding, T., Wilhelmsson, D., Degraer, S. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy | Invertebrates | ||
| Development of epibenthic assemblages on artificial habitat associated with marine renewable infrastructure | Sheehan, E., Cartwright, A., Witt, M., Attrill, M., Vural, M., Holmes, L. | Journal Article | Marine Energy | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Predictable changes in fish school characteristics due to a tidal turbine support structure | Williamson, B., Fraser, S., Williamson, L., Nikora, V., Scott, B. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction | Fish | |
| Assessing the impact of introduced infrastructure at sea with cameras: A case study for spatial scale, time and statistical power | Bicknell, A., Sheehan, E., Godley, B., Doherty, P., Witt, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| A review of potential impacts of submarine power cables on the marine environment: Knowledge gaps, recommendations and future directions | Taormina, B., Bald, J., Want, A., Thouzeau, G., Lejart, M., Desroy, N., Carlier, A. | Journal Article | Habitat Change | |||
| Fish Distributions in a Tidal Channel Indicate the Behavioural Impact of a Marine Renewable Energy Installation | Fraser, S., Williamson, B., Nikora, V., Scott, B. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction | Fish | |
| Seabed recovery following protective burial of subsea cables - Observations from the continental margin | Kraus, C., Carter, L. | Journal Article | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | ||
| Using Coupled Hydrodynamic Biogeochemical Models to Predict the Effects of Tidal Turbine Arrays on Phytoplankton Dynamics | Schuchert, P., Kregting, L., Pritchard, D., Savidge, G., Elsäßer, B. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Changes in Flow | Ecosystem Processes | |
| Tidal Energy: The Benthic Effects of an Operational Tidal Stream Turbine | O'Carroll, J., Kennedy, R., Creech, A., Savidge, G. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Changes in Flow | Invertebrates | |
| Biodiversity Characterisation and Hydrodynamic Consequences of Marine Fouling Communities on Marine Renewable Energy Infrastructure in the Orkney Islands Archipelago, Scotland, UK | Want, A., Crawford, R., Kakkonen, J., Kiddie, G., Miller, S., Harris, R., Porter, J. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Identifying Relevant Scales of Variability for Monitoring Epifaunal Reef Communities at a Tidal Energy Extraction Site | O'Carroll, J., Kennedy, R., Savidge, G. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Invertebrates | ||
| The location of offshore wave power devices structures epifaunal assemblages | Langhamer, O. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Assessment of Benthic Effects of Anchor Presence and Removal | Henkel, S. | Report | Marine Energy | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Do Changes in Current Flow as a Result of Arrays of Tidal Turbines Have an Effect on Benthic Communities? | Kregting, L., Elsaesser, B., Kennedy, R., Smyth, D., O'Carroll, J., Savidge, G. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Changes in Flow | Invertebrates | |
| Biofouling Community Composition across a Range of Environmental Conditions and Geographical Locations Suitable for Floating Marine Renewable Energy Generation | Macleod, A., Stanley, M., Day, J., Cook, E. | Journal Article | Marine Energy | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Effects of submarine power transmission cables on a glass sponge reef and associated megafaunal community | Dunham, A., Pegg, J., Carolsfeld, W., Davies, S., Murfitt, I., Boutillier, J. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Evaluating the Potential for Marine and Hydrokinetic Devices to Act as Artificial Reefs or Fish Aggregating Devices, Based on Analysis of Surrogates in Tropical, Subtropical, and Temperate U.S. West Coast and Hawaiian Coastal Waters | Kramer, S., Hamilton, C., Spencer, G., Ogston, H. | Report | Marine Energy | Habitat Change | Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish | |
| In-Situ Ecological Interactions with a Deployed Tidal Energy Device; An Observational Pilot Study | Broadhurst, M., Barr, S., Orme, D. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish | ||
| Spatial and Temporal Benthic Species Assemblage Responses with a Deployed Marine Tidal Energy Device: A Small Scaled Study | Broadhurst, M., Orme, C. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Ecosystem Processes, Invertebrates | ||
| Marine Renewable Energy Development: Assessing the Benthic Footprint at Multiple Scales | Miller, R., Hutchison, Z., Macleod, A., Burrows, M., Cook, E., Last, K., Wilson, B. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| SeaGen Environmental Monitoring Programme: Final Report | Keenan, G., Sparling, C., Williams, H., Fortune, F. | Report | Marine Energy, Tidal | Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment | ||
| Effects Of Wave Energy Converters On The Surrounding Soft-bottom Macrofauna (west Coast Of Sweden) | Langhamer, O. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Colonisation of Fish and Crabs of Wave Energy Foundations and the Effects of Manufactured Holes - A Field Experiment | Langhamer, O., Wilhelmsson, D. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Habitat Change | Fish, Invertebrates | |
| Artificial Reef Effect and Fouling Impacts on Offshore Wave Power Foundations and Buoys - A Pilot Study | Langhamer, O., Wilhelmsson, D., Engström, J. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Habitat Change | Fish, Invertebrates |