TY - JOUR
TI - Framework for assessing and mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy development on marine birds
AU - Croll, D
AU - Ellis, A
AU - Adams, J
AU - Cook, A
AU - Garthe, S
AU - Goodale, M
AU - Hall, C
AU - Hazen, E
AU - Keitt, B
AU - Kelsey, E
AU - Leirness, J
AU - Lyons, D
AU - McKown, M
AU - Potiek, A
AU - Searle, K
AU - Soudijn, F
AU - Rockwood, C
AU - Tershy, B
AU - Tinker, M
AU - VanderWerf, E
AU - Williams, K
AU - Young, L
AU - Zilliacus, K
T2 - Biological Conservation
AB - Offshore wind energy development (OWED) is rapidly expanding globally and has the potential to contribute significantly to renewable energy portfolios. However, development of infrastructure in the marine environment presents risks to wildlife. Marine birds in particular have life history traits that amplify population impacts from displacement and collision with offshore wind infrastructure. Here, we present a broadly applicable framework to assess and mitigate the impacts of OWED on marine birds. We outline existing techniques to quantify impact via monitoring and modeling (e.g., collision risk models, population viability analysis), and present a robust mitigation framework to avoid, minimize, or compensate for OWED impacts. Our framework addresses impacts within the context of multiple stressors across multiple wind energy developments. We also present technological and methodological approaches that can improve impact estimation and mitigation. We highlight compensatory mitigation as a tool that can be incorporated into regulatory frameworks to mitigate impacts that cannot be avoided or minimized via siting decisions or alterations to OWED infrastructure or operation. Our framework is intended as a globally-relevant approach for assessing and mitigating OWED impacts on marine birds that may be adapted to existing regulatory frameworks in regions with existing or planned OWED.
DA - 2022/12//
PY - 2022
VL - 276
SP - 109795
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320722003482
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109795
LA - English
KW - Wind Energy
KW - Fixed Offshore Wind
KW - Floating Offshore Wind
KW - Collision
KW - Displacement
KW - Birds
KW - Human Dimensions
ER -