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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: 1657

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Bird Strikes and Electrocutions at Power Lines, Communication Towers, and Wind Turbines: State of the Art and State of the Science - Next Steps Toward Mitigation Manville, A. Conference Paper Wind Energy Collision Birds
Proceedings of the Onshore Wildlife Interactions with Wind Developments: Research Meeting V Schwartz, S. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Behavior of Red-Tailed Hawks in a Wind Turbine Development Hoover, S., Morrison, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Raptors, Birds
Investigations of migratory birds during operation of Horns Rev offshore wind farm. Annual status report 2004 Christensen, T., Hounisen, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds
Resident Golden Eagle Ranging Behaviour Before and After Construction of a Windfarm in Argyll Walker, D., McGrady, M., McCluskie, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Raptors
Use of Pressure-Sensitive Film to Quantify Sources of Injury to Fish Cada, G., Smith, J., Busey, J. Journal Article Riverine, Marine Energy Collision Fish
Preliminary Investigations of Bird-Turbine Collisions at Nysted Offshore Wind Farm and Final Quality Control of Thermal Animal Detection System (TADS) Desholm, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Avoidance Waterfowl, Seabirds, Birds
TADS Investigations of Avian Collision Risk at Nysted Offshore Wind Farm Desholm, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Waterfowl, Seabirds, Passerines, Birds
Bat Activity, Composition, and Collision Mortality At a Large Wind Plant in Minnesota Johnson, G., Perlik, M., Erickson, W. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision Bats
WT-Bird: Bird Collision Recording for Offshore Wind Farms Wiggelinkhuizen, E., Rademakers, L., Barhorst, S. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Avian Monitoring and Risk Assessment at the Tehachapi Pass Wind Resource Area: Period of Performance: October 2, 1996 - May 27, 1998 Anderson, R., Newmann, N., Tom, J. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
A Preliminary Assessment of Potential Avian Interactions at Four Proposed Wind Energy Facilities on Vandenberg Air Force Base, California: Period of Performance: November 2001 - May 2002 BioResource Consultants Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats, Birds
Assessment of Bat Mortality and Activity at Buffalo Mountain Windfarm, Eastern Tennessee Fiedler, J. Thesis Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Proceedings of the Wind Energy and Birds/Bats Workshop: Understanding and Resolving Bird and Bat Impacts Schwartz, S. Workshop Article Wind Energy Collision Bats, Birds
Does the Wind Power Industry Threaten Marbled Murrelets or Do Marbled Murrelets Threaten the Wind Power Industry? Cooper, J., Beauchesne, S. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Bouw en exploitatie van een windmolenpark op de Thorntonbank in de Noordzee: Milieueffectenbeoordeling van het project ingediend door de n.v. C-Power Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (MUMM) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Chemicals, Collision, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy
Comparison of Blade-Strike Modeling Results with Empirical Data Ploskey, G., Carlson, T. Report Riverine, Marine Energy Collision Fish
Behavioural and Environmental Correlates of Soaring-Bird Mortality at On-Shore Wind Turbines Barrios, L., Rodríguez, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement Birds, Raptors
When Blade Meets Bat Williams, W. Magazine Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
The Effects of a Wind Farm on Birds in a Migration Point: The Strait of Gibraltar de Lucas, M., Janss, G., Ferrer, M. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision, Avoidance Birds
Session: Development and application of guidelines for siting, constructing, operating and monitoring wind turbines Manville, A., Hueckel, G. Conference Paper Wind Energy Collision Bats, Birds
Survival Estimates for Juvenile Fish Subjected to a Laboratory-Generated Shear Environment Neitzel, D., Dauble, D., Cada, G. Journal Article Marine Energy Changes in Flow, Collision Fish, Pelagic Fish
Visual and Radar Observations of Birds in Relation to Collision Risk at the Horns Rev Offshore Wind Farm Christensen, T., Hounisen, J., Clausager, I. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Seabirds, Birds
Bat Deaths and Wind Turbines - A Review of Current Knowledge, and of the Information Available in the Database for Germany Durr, T., Bach, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision Bats
Developing Methods To Reduce Bird Mortality In The Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area Smallwood, K., Thelander, C. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement Birds, Raptors
Wind Turbines and Bats - A Pilot Study Ahlén, I. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Attraction Passerines, Birds, Bats
Bird Risk Behaviors and Fatalities at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area: Period of Performance: March 1998 - December 2000 Thelander, C., Smallwood, K., Rugge, L. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Avoidance, Attraction Raptors, Birds
Bat Interactions With Wind Turbines at the Buffalo Ridge, Minnesota Wind Resource Area: An Assessment of Bat Activity, Species Composition, and Collision Mortality Johnson, G., Perlik, M., Erickson, W. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Avoidance, Attraction Bats
Nine Canyon Wind Power Project Avian and Bat Monitoring Report Erickson, W., Kronner, K., Gritski, B. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats, Birds
SuperGen Marine Energy Research Wallace, R., Ingram, D., Jeffrey, H. Research Study Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
A Vehicle-Mounted Radar for Dual-Purpose Monitoring of Birds Harmata, A., Leighty, G., O'Neil, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Minimization of Motion Smear: Reducing Avian Collisions with Wind Turbines: Period of Performance: July 12, 1999 - August 31, 2002 Hodos, W. Report Wind Energy Collision Raptors, Birds
Life Histories of Bats: Life in the Slow Lane Barclay, R., Harder, L. Book Chapter Wind Energy Collision Bats
Birds and Offshore Wind Farms: A Hot Topic in Marine Ecology Exo, K., Hüppop, O., Garthe, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Collision Potential of Eiders and Other Birds Near a Proposed Windfarm at St. Lawrence Island, October-November 2002 Day, R., Rose, J., Ritchie, R. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Seabirds, Raptors, Birds
Effects of offshore wind farms on birds: "Cuisinarts of the sky" or just tilting at windmills? Tingley, M. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction Seabirds, Passerines, Birds
Offshore Wind Energy in Europe— A Review of the State-of-the-Art Henderson, A., Morgan, C., Smith, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Birds, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Avian and Bat Mortality Associated with the Initial Phase of the Foote Creek Rim Windpower Project, Carbon County, Wyoming November 1998-June 2002 Young, D. Jr., Erickson, W., Good, R. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats, Birds, Passerines, Raptors, Shorebirds, Waterfowl
National Wind Technology Center Site Environmental Assessment: Bird and Bat Use and Fatalities - Final Report Schmidt, E., Piaggo, A., Bock, C. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Birds, Bats
Mortality of Bats at a Large-Scale Wind Power Development at Buffalo Ridge, Minnesota Johnson, G., Erickson, W., Strickland, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats

Displaying 1561 - 1600 of 1657 results