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

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 Habitat Change.

Total: 1533

Searches title and abstract.
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
National wind wildlife research plan, 2020-2023 American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI) Report Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Challenges of future energy landscapes in Germany — a nature conservation perspective Ponitka, J., Boettner, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Nature-Inclusive Design: A Catalogue for Offshore Wind Infrastructure Hermans, A., Bos, O., Prusina, I. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning
Behavioral Response of Grouse to Wind Energy Turbines: A Quantitative Review of Survival, Habitat Selection, and Lek Attendance LeBeau, C., Howlin, S., Tredennick, A. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 1986-2018 Report Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Report Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Accumulating Biofouling - and Knowledge Navarrete, S., Parragué, M., Osiadacz, N. Journal Article Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment Review and Update of Seascape and Visual Buffer study for Offshore Wind farms White, S., Michaels, S., King, H. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
The management utility of large-scale environmental drivers of bat mortality at wind energy facilities: The effects of facility size, elevation and geographic location MacGregor, K., Lemaître, J. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Bats
Seafloor Disturbance and Recovery Monitoring at the Block Island Wind Farm, Rhode Island – Summary Report Khan, A., Smith, K. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Toward an Ecosystem Approach of Marine Renewable Energy: The Case of the Offshore Wind Farm of Courseulles-sur-Mer in the Bay of Seine Niquil, N., Raoux, A., Haraldsson, M. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Distribution of breeding humpback whale habitats and overlap with cumulative anthropogenic impacts in the Eastern Tropical Atlantic Chou, E., Kershaw, F., Maxwell, S. Journal Article Habitat Change Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Near-field Spatial and Temporal Benthic Monitoring at the Block Island Wind Farm, USA Khan, A., Bartley, M., English, P. Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Towards Estimating the Biogeochemical Footprint of an Offshore Windfarm Vanavebeke, J., Braeckman, U., De Borger, E. Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Water Quality, Invertebrates
The State of the Science on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy Development: Workshop Proceedings Gulka, J., Williams, K. Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles
Growth and recovery after small-scale disturbance of a rapidly-expanding invasive seagrass in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Willette, D., Chiquillo, K., Cross, C. Journal Article Habitat Change Physical Environment
Potential environmental impacts of wind energy development: A global perspective Nazir, M., Ali, N., Bilal, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes
Marine stepping‐stones: Connectivity of Mytilus edulis populations between offshore energy installations Coolen, J., Boon, A., Crooijmans, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Wind farm development on peatlands increases fluvial macronutrient loading Heal, K., Phin, A., Waldron, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Water Quality
Options for biodiversity enhancement in offshore wind farms Bureau Waardenburg bv Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions
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
Social network analysis as a tool for marine spatial planning: Impacts of decommissioning on connectivity in the North Sea Tidbury, H., Taylor, N., van der Molen, J. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Soft Bottom Macrobenthic Communities in Sandy Enclaves from the North Cotentin Peninsula (Central English Channel) Andres, S., Pezy, J., Martinez, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Engineered ecologies: Addressing energy infrastructure impacts on wildlife habitat & movement Baker, L. Thesis Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Terrestrial Mammals
Regional‐scale patterns of deep seafloor biodiversity for conservation assessment O'Hara, T., Williams, A., Althaus, F. Journal Article Marine Energy Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
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
Flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) settlement on scour protection material: Innovation Eco Scour Protection in offshore windfarm Borssele V Tonk, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Renewable Energy and Land Use in India: A Vision to Facilitate Sustainable Development Kiesecker, J., Baruch-Mordo, S., Heiner, M. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Trawls National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Webpage Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Anthropogenic threats to benthic habitats Harris, P. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
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
Does the colonisation of offshore renewable energy farms facilitate the introduction and spread of non-indigenous species? Nexer, M., Ben Rais Lasram, F., Bourgougnon, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Methodology for modeling and service life monitoring of mooring lines of floating wind turbines Pham, H., Schoefs, F., Cartraud, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Seafloor biodiversity of Canada's three oceans: Patterns, hotspots and potential drivers Wei, C-L., Cusson, M., Archambault, P. Journal Article Habitat Change Physical Environment
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
Effects from wave power generators on the distribution of two sea pen species on the Swedish west coast Bender, A., Sundberg, J. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Invertebrates
SEA Wave D2.3 Environmental Demonstration Strategy Fox, J. Report Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change, Noise Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Green Electricity Corridors in Europe: Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM): Status, roadblocks, and ways forward Ecofirst, Renewables Grid Initiative Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Terrestrial Mammals
Wind farms in the Icelandic highlands: Attitudes of local residents and tourism service providers Ólafsdóttir, R., Sæþórsdóttir, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Recreation & Tourism
Oil and gas platforms as artificial substrates for epibenthic North Sea fauna: Effects of location and depth Schutter, M., Dorenbosch, M., Driessen, F. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Landsat Time Series Assessment of Invasive Annual Grasses Following Energy Development Villarreal, M., Soulard, C., Waller, E. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
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