Abstract
The urgent global transition towards renewable energy critically requires the expansion of Offshore Wind Farms (OWFs). However, this development intersects with established human activities in the marine environment, often leading to significant conflicts, particularly with fisheries (Gill et al., 2020; Farr et al., 2021; Szostek et al., 2025). Yet, the exclusion of fishing activities within OWF perimeters can sometimes offer positive ecological benefits. Worldwide, OWFs have been shown to affect marine life by disrupting the behavior, reproduction, physiology and survival of exploited species. Such impacts arise through mechanisms including underwater noise and vibration, habitat loss and alteration, electromagnetic fields, and increased collision risk, ultimately affecting the productivity and sustainability of fisheries (Hogan et al., 2023).
While research in regions with established bottom-fixed OWFs, such as the North Sea and the North Atlantic, has documented various ecological impacts that highlight the need for careful planning (White et al., 2012), studies examining the effects of floating OWFs on exploited species and fisheries remain notably scarce. This is particularly true within the unique ecological and socio-economic context of the Mediterranean Sea, where OWF development remains in its early stages (Lloret et al., 2022, 2023; Wawrzynkowski et al., 2025). This knowledge gap is significant given the Mediterranean's unique ecological and economic context, where fisheries are vital for local communities (FAO, 2023). Substantial ambitions for OWF are currently observed in the Mediterranean Sea (Defingou et al., 2019). While large-scale deployment is still in its nascent stages and often faces complex planning and regulatory hurdles, the considerable number of proposed projects and national targets indicate a strong trajectory towards future expansion in this region. This impending development poses significant ocean and coastal management challenges, as the proposed OWF development areas often intersect with fishing grounds. Here, marine resources are ecologically crucial, and fishing activities hold significant economic and cultural importance (Fayram and De Risi, 2007; Lloret et al., 2022, 2023). Therefore, understanding and actively mitigating the potential negative impacts of OWFs on exploited species is crucial for achieving a sustainable coexistence between renewable energy initiatives and the preservation of fishing grounds and coastal communities.
In the Mediterranean, the focus is predominantly on floating technology due to the region's deep waters and challenging seabed conditions (Defingou et al., 2019). The region's vital fishing grounds are concentrated on its generally narrow continental shelves (Papaconstantinou and Farrugio, 2000), holding significant cultural and economic value (Farrugio et al., 1993; Gómez and Maynou, 2020). As floating OWFs are increasingly proposed in these areas, effective maritime spatial planning (MSP) of Offshore Wind Development Areas (OWDAs) and projects becomes critical. This entails optimizing the design and location of these developments to minimize their impact on fishery resources, thereby ensuring sustainable coexistence between renewable energy initiatives and traditional fishing practices (Hogan et al., 2023; Smythe, 2024; Montero et al., 2025). Achieving this necessitates the integration of robust governance frameworks with ecological vulnerability assessments, including consideration of fishers' engagement and cumulative impacts within existing legal and planning instruments.
This paper addresses this critical need by conducting a trait-based vulnerability assessment of commercially important species, examining stressors associated with floating OWFs in the NW Mediterranean.
While there is a growing interest in assessing species vulnerability to a range of stressors using a trait-based approach (Butt et al., 2022), no such methodology has yet been specifically applied to stressors linked to OWFs. The adoption of this methodology in our study, marking its first application in the context of OWF development, is particularly suitable because it offers a systematic and predictive evaluation of vulnerability across a broad range of species, even those for which direct impact data are scarce. Crucially, this approach moves beyond simple observation to provide a mechanistic understanding of why certain species are vulnerable to OWF-related stressors. By focusing on inherent ecological and life history characteristics, this method enhances our understanding of how exploited species are likely to respond to various OWF-related pressures. The overarching goal of this study is twofold: first, to provide data-driven insights that aid policymakers in defining OWDAs that avoid or minimize impacts on fishery resources; and second, to offer practical guidance for mitigating the infrastructure's effects on these resources throughout the wind farm lifecycle (survey, construction, operation, and dismantling). Ultimately, this tool strives to provide nuanced, mechanism-based insights that can inform targeted and tailored management strategies for mitigating the potential impacts of OWF-related stressors on commercially important species, while considering the broader context of marine spatial planning and stakeholder interests. Using a case study in the NW Mediterranean, we highlight the importance of understanding and evaluating the vulnerability of commercial species to floating OWF-related stressors within the context of marine spatial planning and marine resource management. This vulnerability assessment tool aims to contribute to informed decision-making for the sustainable co-development of offshore wind energy and commercial fisheries, emphasizing its potential to be operationalized within existing management frameworks.