Habitat Change

Changes to the physical habitat around the device.

The introduction of wind or marine renewable energy devices to the environment can change the physical habitat. The development of land-based wind farms, for example, typically requires the addition of roads and infrastructure, which can lead to habitat degradation and/or fragmentation. Installation of offshore wind and marine renewable energy devices' associated subsea power cables will likely result in changes to seafloor habitats. The physical presence of one or many devices may cause animals to avoid the area, potentially resulting in loss of foraging, breeding, rearing, or resting habitats. Fish may be attracted to a device to feed on algae or to swim in an eddy, while bats may be attracted to a device to feed on insects that are attracted by the light, both of which may place them at higher risk for collision with dynamic portions of the device. Mooring lines that anchor floating devices to the seafloor could also confuse or entrap large marine animals like whales, causing panic and potential injury or increased predation.

For more information relevant to marine energy, view the Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats Short Science Summary produced by OES-Environmental.

For more information relevant to offshore wind energy, view the Introduction of New Structures: Effects on Fish Ecology and Benthic Disturbance from Foundations, Anchors, & Cables research briefs produced by SEER.

Photo Credit: BALAO-SABELLA

Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents Related to Habitat Change

Total results: 1392
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Wave and Tidal Energy: Evaluation of Feasibility, Costs, and Benefits Senate Bill 605 Report Lee, S., Strong, V., Aspen Environmental Group Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Social & Economic Data
MASTS ASM 2024 Workshop Proceeding: Tracking Top Predators in Marine Renewable Energy Development Areas Sutherland, J. Marine Energy, Wind Energy Attraction, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
Large offshore wind farms have minimal direct impacts on air quality Golbazi, M., Archer, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Acoustic telemetry suggests the lesser spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula stays and uses habitats within a French offshore wind farm Labourgade, P., Couturier, L., Bourjea, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish
How should the use of offshore wind farms by birds be approached and should it be encouraged? Henry, S., Bourgeois, K., Cadiou, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change Birds
A review of benthic ecological surveying for marine renewable developments in Scottish waters Aquatera Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
The contingent impact of wind farms on game mammal density demonstrated in a large-scale analysis of hunting bag data in Poland Klich, D., Kawka, J., Łopucki, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Terrestrial Mammals
Wind energy and insects: reviewing the state of knowledge and identifying potential interactions Weschler, M., Tronstad, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Invertebrates
Marine infrastructure support fewer producers and more filter feeders than natural habitats: a review and meta-analysis McKibbin, O., Verges, A., Pottier, P. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Ecological design of scour protection for offshore wind power Junquera Barbazán, P., Sudjada, S. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Physical Environment
Life on every stone: Characterizing benthic communities from scour protection layers of offshore wind farms in the southern North Sea Zupan, M., Coolen, J., Mavraki, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Marine biodiversity impact pathways for offshore wind farm decommissioning: Implications for Life Cycle impact assessment development Stranddorf, L., Colley, T., Delefosse, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Life Cycle Assessment
Avoidance & Minimisation of Environmental Impacts from Offshore Wind & Grid Infrastructure Offshore Coalition For Energy & Nature (OCEaN) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Engagement
Offshore Wind Impact on Oceanographic Processes: North Carolina to New York, Volume 1 - RPS Georgas, N., Garavelli, L., Codiga, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
NMFS West Coast Offshore Wind Energy Strategic Science Plan National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning
Schemes for Assessing Ecosystem Impacts in the Offshore Wind Siting Processes of European Countries and Implications for Korea Ahn, S., Soh, Y., Ryu, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
2024 State of the Science Report - Chapter 3: Marine Renewable Energy: Stressor-Receptor Interactions Garavelli, L., Hemery, L., Rose, D. Report Marine Energy, OTEC, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles
Options for biodiversity-friendly designs and approaches for offshore wind farms in Ireland BlueWise Marine Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Advancing Nature Inclusive Offshore Renewable Energy Solutions Conference Dutch Marine Energy Centre Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates
OES-Environmental 2024 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World OES-Environmental Report Marine Energy, OTEC, Tidal, Wave Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Terrestrial Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Recreation & Tourism, Stakeholder Engagement
Short Science Summary 2024: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats OES-Environmental Summary Marine Energy Habitat Change
Recent Advances in Assessing Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Around the World Copping, A., Martinez, L., Hemery, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Ocean Current, OTEC, Riverine, Salinity Gradient, Tidal, Wave Attraction, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Department of the Interior (DOI) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Water Quality, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Stakeholder Engagement
Musseling through: Mytilus byssal thread production is unaffected by continuous noise Wang, S., Ellrich, J., Beermann, J. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Ecosystem Processes
Wind farms increase land surface temperature and reduce vegetation productivity in the Inner Mongolia Plateau Liu, L., Liu, P., Yu, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Commercial Wind Lease Issuance on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf, Offshore Oregon Final Environmental Assessment Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), US Army Corps of Engineers Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Challenges and Opportunities for Floating Offshore Wind Energy in Ultradeep Waters of the Central Atlantic Musial, W., McCoy, A., Hernando, D. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Entanglement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Modeling rare plant habitat together with public land managers using an iterative, coproduced process to inform decision-making on multiple-use public lands Jarnevich, C., Carter, S., Davidson, Z. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Effects of Wind Farm Construction on Soil Nutrients and Vegetation: A Case Study of Linxiang Wind Farm in Hunan Province Li, L., Ma, W., Duan, X. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Wind Energy: Technologies and Approaches to Help Address Environmental Effects United States Government Accountability Office Report Wind Energy Attraction, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts
Beneath the blades: Marine wind farms support parts of local biodiversity - a systematic review Knorrn, A., Teder, T., Kaasik, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Demersal Fish, Invertebrates
Lightning Talks Cook-Ohryn, C., Hofstede, R., Bingham, M. Presentation Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Ecosystem Linkages and Forecasting Orphanides, C., Adams, E., Hirtle, N. Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Project WOW: Update on Project Results and Plans Nowacek, D. Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Marine Mammals
A comprehensive review on scour and scour protections for complex bottom-fixed offshore and marine renewable energy foundations Chambel, J., Fazeres-Ferradosa, T., Miranda, F. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Realizing the Potential of eDNA Biodiversity Monitoring Tools in the Marine Environment with Application to Offshore Renewable Energy Sepulveda, A., Morrison, C., Hunter, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Reptiles
Environmental DNA for monitoring the impact of offshore wind farms on fish and invertebrate community structures Cornelis, I., De Backer, A., Maes, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish, Invertebrates
Potential environmental impacts of floating solar photovoltaic systems Benjamins, S., Williamson, B., Billing, S-L. Journal Article Attraction, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, EMF, Habitat Change Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Black Terns (Chlidonias niger) beyond the breeding grounds: Occurrence, relative density, and habitat associations in the northern Gulf of Mexico Michael, P., Gleason, J., Haney, J. Journal Article Wind Energy Displacement, Habitat Change Birds
Effects of the Block Island Wind Farm on Benthic and Epifaunal Communities Fonseca, M., McMahon, A., Erickson, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
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