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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
Landscape anthropization shapes the survival of a top avian scavenger Arrondo, E., Sanz-Aguilar, A., Perez-Garcia, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
Ecological impact of decommissioning offshore wind farms Teunis, M., Collier, M., Bakker, E. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Bats, Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Predicting strike susceptibility and collision patterns of the common buzzard at wind turbine structures in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany Bose, A., Durr, T., Klenke, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
Using acoustic telemetry for high-resolution sablefish movement informing potential interactions with a tidal turbine Staines, G., Deng, Z., Li, X. Conference Paper Marine Energy Avoidance, Collision Fish
Environmental Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms in the Belgian Part of the North Sea: Empirical Evidence Inspiring Priority Monitoring, Research and Management Degraer, S., Brabant, R., Rumes, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment
Seasonal Difference in Carcass Persistence Rates at Wind Farms with Snow, Hokkaido, Japan Kitano, M., Ino, M., Smallwood, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Machine learning applied to wind turbine blades impact detection Hu, C., Albertani, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Summary of Activities and the Results of Ornithological Monitoring in the Integrated System for Protection of Birds, 2019 Zehtindjiev, P., Whitfield, D. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement Birds
European free–tailed bat fatalities at wind farms in southern Spain Muñoz, A., Farfan, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Long-term Acoustic Assessment of Bats at Spion Kop Reservoir, Montana for 2015-2017 Bachen, D., Burkholder, B., Maxell, B. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement Bats
Better linking effects of offshore windfarms on black-legged kittiwakes to populations Black, J., Ruffino, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds
Eagle Conservation Plan for the Goodnoe Hills Wind Facility Klickitat County, Washington Western Ecosystems Technology Inc (WEST) Guidance Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Development of a 'Seabird Sensitivity Mapping Tool for Scotland’ Searle, K., Butler, A., Mobbs, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement Birds, Seabirds
Draft Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy consultation APS Group Scotland Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts
Better estimates of collision mortality to black-legged kittiwakes at offshore windfarms Black, J., Cook, A., Anderson, O. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Seabirds
Vertical Distribution of Juvenile Salmon in a Large Turbid River Jump, S., Courtney, M., Seitz, A. Journal Article Marine Energy, Riverine Collision, Habitat Change Fish
Weather-dependence of nocturnal bird migration and cumulative collision risk at offshore wind farms in the German North and Baltic Seas Welcker, J., Vilela, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Activity and behaviour of Nathusius' pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii at low and high altitude in a North Sea offshore wind farm Brabant, R., Laurent, Y., Poerink, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Bats
Quantifying fish-turbine interactions using VEMCO’s new high residency acoustic electronic tagging technology McLean, M., Sanderson, B., Lilly, J. Report Marine Energy, Tidal Collision Fish
Evaluation of an Acoustic Deterrent to Reduce Bat Mortalities at an Illinois Wind Farm Romano, W., Skalski, J., Townsend, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
An agent-based model to predict fish collisions with tidal stream turbines Rossington, K., Benson, T. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Collision Fish
B-Finder System: 24 Month Test Report for T-Series Przybycin, P., Przybycin, M., Przybycin, J. Report Wind Energy Collision Bats, Birds
Avian vulnerability to wind farm collision through the year: insights from Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) tracked from multiple breeding colonies Thaxter, C., Ross-Smith, V., Bouten, W. Journal Article Wind Energy Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Monitoring of the migration of birds through the territory of the Integrated System for Protection of Birds, Аutumn 2019 Zehtindjiev, P., Whitfield, D. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Influence of landscape and time of year on bat-wind turbines collision risks Roemer, C., Bas, Y., Disca, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision Bats
Collision risk of Montagu's Harriers Circus pygargus with wind turbines derived from high‐resolution GPS tracking Schaub, T., Klaassen, R., Bouten, W. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
Monitoring of spring bird migration in the Integrated System for Protection of Birds 2019 Zehtindjiev, P., Whitfield, D. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement Birds
Validation of a bird radar system: A guidance document Beuker, D., Bravo Rebolledo, E., Gyimesi, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Monitoring radar performance data collection and data quality Leemans, J., Gyimesi, A. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement Birds
Interaction of Marine Renewable Energy and Marine Organisms: Active Acoustic Assessment Williamson, B., Fraser, S., Nikora, V. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement Fish
Post - Construction Studies for the Spion Kop Wind Farm Project in Judith Basin County, Montana Linnell, K., Smucker, K. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision
Auditory performance in bald eagles and red-tailed hawks: a comparative study of hearing in diurnal raptors McGee, J., Nelson, P., Ponder, J. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision Birds, Raptors
Salmonid response to a vertical axis hydrokinetic turbine in a stream aquarium Berry, M., Sundberg, J., Francisco, F. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal Collision Fish, Pelagic Fish
Impacts to Wildlife of Wind Energy Siting and Operation in the United States Allison, T., Diffendorfer, J., Baerwald, E. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Offshore wind farms and their effects on birds Fox, A., Petersen, I-K. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement Birds, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Developing a science-based approach to defining key species of birds and bats of concern for wind farm developments in Victoria Lumsden, L., Moloney, P., Smales, I. Report Wind Energy Avoidance, Collision Bats, Birds
Evaluation of bird detection efficiency of ProBird: tracking missed detection and false positives Lagrange, H., Rico, P. Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds, Raptors, Seabirds
Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments Howell, J., McKellar, A., Espie, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Shorebirds
Advanced Environmental Monitoring for Marine Renewable Energy Cotter, E. Thesis Ocean Current, Wave Collision, Noise Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions
Understanding Wind Energy Impacts to Bats and Testing Reduction Strategies in South Texas Weaver, S. Thesis Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats

Displaying 721 - 760 of 1656 results