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Collision

Birds flying past a wind turbine farm
Direct contact between an animal and a device component.

Any part of a renewable energy device that moves has the potential to have a deleterious effect on both resident and migratory organisms. Collisions between animals and tidal or wind turbine blades could result in injury or death, either by direct contact with the device or by pressure changes created around the moving parts. The probability of a collision with a blade may vary based on the rotational or mechanical speed of the moving parts, the presence and density of animals in the area, the time of day, weather conditions, and the ability of animals to sense and evade the device. Carcasses found around land-based wind turbines provide an estimate of bird and bat fatalities, while it is much more difficult to estimate the effect of collisions with offshore wind turbines. To date there have been no observed collisions of marine mammals or diving seabirds with tidal turbines. Wave energy devices also have moving parts such as heave plates, flaps, and other large heavy components that could potentially cause harm, although the likelihood is thought to be extremely small. Collisions resulting in injury and death of individual animals with moving parts of devices become particularly important if the loss of those individuals affect the stability and sustainability of the population in the area.

For more information relevant to marine energy, check out the Collision Risk Short Science Summary produced by OES-Environmental.

For more information relevant to offshore wind energy, check out the Bat and Bird Interactions with Offshore Wind Energy research brief produced by SEER.

Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Tethys is a knowledge hub that contains documents on the environmental effects of wind and marine energy. The table below contains all of the documents in the Tethys Knowledge Base associated with Collision.

Total: 1656

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
How to Manage Light Emissions to Avoid Migratory Songbird Collisions at an Offshore Construction Site Zeidler, Ulrich, Nehls, G., Bräger, S. Conference Paper Collision, Lighting Birds
Factors affecting searcher efficiency and scavenger removal of bat carcasses in Neotropical wind facilities Barros, M., Iannuzzi, L., Silva, I. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Review of seabird monitoring technologies for offshore wind farms Nicholls, A., Barker, M., Armitage, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Bats, Birds
Commercial Wind Lease and Grant Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Humboldt Wind Energy Area, California Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), BOEM Environmental Studies Program Report Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Post-Construction Bird and Bat Fatality Monitoring Study Crowned Ridge II Wind Farm Codington, Grant, and Deuel Counties, South Dakota Chodachek, K., Suehring, A., Wilson, T. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats, Birds
Wind Farms and Power Lines Have Negative Effects on Territory Occupancy in Eurasian Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo) Husby, M., Pearson, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Collision, Noise Birds, Raptors, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) in the Tropics: An Overview of MRE Potential in Oaxaca, Mexico Oman, J. Report Marine Energy, Ocean Current, OTEC, Wave Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Legal & Policy, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data
Offshore renewables need an experimental mindset Johnson, A., Dawson, C., Conners, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Factors influencing wind turbine avoidance behaviour of a migrating soaring bird Santos, C., Ramesh, H., Ferraz, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Hotspots in the grid: Avian sensitivity and vulnerability to collision risk from energy infrastructure interactions in Europe and North Africa Gauld, J., Silva, J., Atkinson, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors, Seabirds
Evaluating Bat Roost Abundance: A Comparison of Drone-Acquired Thermal Imagery and Acoustic Recordings with Visual Observers Jaffe, K., Carter, R., Corcoran, A. Presentation Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement Bats, Birds
Stochastic agent-based model for predicting turbine-scale raptor movements during updraft-subsidized directional flights Sandhu, R., Tripp, C., Quon, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
Measuring and visualizing environmental and social impacts of wind energy projects Pian, A., Verhoef, J., De Vries, L. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Human Dimensions
Capabilities of an Acoustic Camera to Inform Fish Collision Risk with Current Energy Converter Turbines Staines, G., Mueller, R., Seitz, A. Journal Article Marine Energy, Riverine, Tidal Collision Fish
Vulnerability of avian populations to renewable energy production Conkling, T., Zanden, H., Allison, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Investigating avoidance and attraction responses in lesser black-backed gulls Larus fuscus to offshore wind farms Johnston, D., Thaxter, C., Boersch-Supan, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Sandwich Terns in the Netherlands in 2019-2021 van Bemmelen, R., Courtens, W., Collier, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Northern gannet collision risk with wind turbines at the southern North Sea Collier, M., Potiek, A., Hin, V. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds
Cumulative impact assessment of collisions with existing and planned offshore wind turbines in the southern North Sea Potiek, A., Leemans, J., Middelveld, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Evidence of Nocturnal Migration over Sea and Sex-Specific Migration Distance of Dutch Black-Headed Gulls Fijn, R., Govers, L., Lutterop, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Monitoring of geese in the territory of Integrated System for Protection of Birds, Winter 2021-2022 Zehtindjiev, P., Whitfield, P. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement Birds, Waterfowl
How can the impacts of an operating wind farm on marine mammals be assessed? Couturier, L., Curé, C., Labach, H. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Marine Mammals
One size doesn’t fit all: Singularities in bat species richness and activity patterns in wind-energy complexes in Brazil and implications for environmental assessment Pereira, C., Falcão, F., Bernard, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
ORJIP Ocean Energy Information Note: Environmental Monitoring Technologies and Techniques for Detecting Interactions with Marine Animals Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme (ORJIP) Report Marine Energy Collision Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Marine Mammals
Experimental study of fish behavior near a tidal turbine model under dark conditions Yoshida, T., Furuichi, D., Williamson, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Avoidance, Collision Fish
Density maps of the herring gull for the Dutch continental shelf Soudijn, F., Chen, C., Potiek, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Ecological and methodological drivers of persistence and detection of bird fatalities at power lines: Insights from multi-project monitoring data Bernardino, J., Martins, R., Bispo, R. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision Birds
ORJIP Ocean Energy Information Note: Collision Risk Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme (ORJIP) Report Marine Energy Collision Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Marine Mammals
Acceptable Levels of Impact from offshore wind farms on the Dutch Continental Shelf for 21 bird species Potiek, A., Ijntema, G.J., van Kooten, T. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Waterfowl, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Bat Impact Assessment: Latrodex Wind Energy Facility Dippenaar, S. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Crossing artificial obstacles during migration: The relative global ecological risks and interdependencies illustrated by the migration of common quail Coturnix coturnix Nadal, J., Sáez, D., Margalida, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Satellite Tracking of Migration Routes of the Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus) in Japan through Sakhalin Hijikata, N., Yamaguchi, N., Hiraoka, E. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Tracking lesser black-backed and herring gulls in the Dutch Delta Vanermen, N., Fijn, R., Rebolledo, E. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
A Predictive Flight-Altitude Model for Avoiding Future Conflicts Between an Emblematic Raptor and Wind Energy Development in the Swiss Alps Vignali, S., Lörcher, F., Hegglin, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
A Stochastic Model for Estimating Sustainable Limits to Wildlife Mortality in a Changing World Manlik, O., Lacy, R., Sherwin, W. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision
A Novel Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model to Evaluate Floating Wind Farm Locations Díaz, H., Soares, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Tidal GES - A transition to affordable and clean energy that can achieve ‘Good Environmental Status’ in coastal and marine waters Power, A. , Lambert, E. , Hynes, S. Research Study Marine Energy, Tidal Collision, Displacement, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Assessment of effectiveness of the IdentiFlight® avian detection system Rogers, D. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Cumulative population-level effects of habitat loss on seabirds 'Kader Ecologie en Cumulatie 4.0' Soudijn, F., van Donk, S., Leopold, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
An Updated Review of Hypotheses Regarding Bat Attraction to Wind Turbines Guest, E., Stamps, B., Durish, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision, Noise Bats

Displaying 441 - 480 of 1656 results