Avoidance

Animals may choose to avoid wind energy and marine renewable energy devices for a variety of reasons, potentially resulting in loss of foraging, breeding, rearing, or resting habitats. Access roads and export cables may also cause habitats to become segmented, disrupting previously continuous habitat or migration corridors. Construction is the most likely initial cause of area avoidance due to heavy traffic and loud noises, but many animals return and are not permanently displaced by new devices in the long-term. Siting and identification of unique or special habitat is important to prevent long-term avoidance of an area and disruptive change to ecosystem processes.