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
An Integrated Visual Impact Assessment Model for Offshore Windfarm Development Depellegrin, D., Blažauskas, N., Egarter-Vigl, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Predicting the Large-Scale Consequences of Offshore Wind Turbine Array Development on a North Sea Ecosystem van der Molen, J., Smith, H., Lepper, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Ecosystem Processes
Getting it Right for the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis): A Last Opportunity for Effective Marine Spatial Planning? Petruny, L., Wright, A., Smith, C. Journal Article Collision, Habitat Change Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Historical Challenges of Wind Energy/Wildlife Interactions: How This May Affect Distributed Wind Sinclair, K. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Birds, Bats
Interspecific effects of forest fragmentation on bats Segers, J., Broders, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change Bats
Computationally Efficient Modelling of Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction of Offshore Wind Turbines on Gravity Footings Damgaard, M., Andersen, L., Ibsen, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Marine Mammals Trace Anthropogenic Structures at Sea Russell, D., Brasseur, S., Thompson, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Habitat Change Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals, Ecosystem Processes
Repeated Mapping of Reefs Constructed by Sabellaria spinulosa Leuckart 1849 at an Offshore Wind Farm Site Pearce, B., Farinas-Franco, J., Wilson, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Impact Hypothesis for Offshore Wind Farms: Explanatory Models for Species Distribution at Extremely Exposed Rocky Areas Schläppy, M., Saskov, A., Dahlgren, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Home Range and Resource Selection by GPS-Monitored Adult Golden Eagles in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion: Implications for Wind Power Development Watson, J., Duff, A., Davies, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Raptors, Birds
A Historical Perspective of Wind-Wildlife Challenges: How this May Affect Distributed Wind Sinclair, K. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Bats
Demonstrating a New Framework for the Comparison of Environmental Impacts from Small- and Large-Scale Hydropower and Wind Power Projects Bakken, T., Aase, A., Hagen, D. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change
Do man-made structures and water depth affect the diel rhythms in click recordings of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)? Brandt, M., Hansen, S., Diederichs, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Marine Mammals
A Sustainability Index of Potential Co-Location of Offshore Wind Farms and Open Water Aquaculture Benassai, G., Mariani, P., Stenberg, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions
Similar Diversity-Disturbance Responses to Different Physical Impacts: Three Cases of Small-Scale Biodiversity Increase in the Belgian Part of the North Sea De Backer, A., Van Hoey, G., Coates, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
Geological and Geotechnical Characterisation for Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations: A Case Study of the Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm Le, T., Eiksund, G., Strom, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change
Avian and Bat Survey Protocols For Large Wind Energy Conversion Systems in Minnesota Mixon, K., Schrenzel, J., Pile, D. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Birds/bats movement tracking with IR camera for wind farm applications Wei, L., Mirzaei, G., Majid, M. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Wind Farms Threaten Southern Africa's Cliff-Nesting Vultures Rushworth, I., Kruger, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Birds
Grande Prairie Wind Farm Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy Stantec Consulting Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
D4.17 Report on environmental monitoring protocols Magagna, D., Lauri, C., Butler, M. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Vulnerability of Coral Reef Fisheries to a Loss of Structural Complexity Rogers, A., Blanchard, J., Mumby, P. Journal Article Habitat Change Fish, Pelagic Fish
Estimating Distribution of Sedimentary Benthic Habitats and Species on the Eastern Pacific Shelf and Detecting Effects of Device Deployment Henkel, S., Goldfinger, C., Romsos, C. Presentation Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Environmental Impacts over the Seabed and Benthic Communities of Underwater Cable Installation in the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BIMEP) Bald, J., Hernández, C., Galparsoro, I. Presentation Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Final Site-Wide Environmental Assessment Department of Energy's National Wind Technology Center Golden, Colorado at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Riding the waves: use of the Pelamis device by seabirds Jackson, A. Conference Paper Wave Attraction, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Annex IV - Investigating Environmental Effects of Wave and Tidal Devices Through International Cooperation Copping, A., Hanna, L., Battey, H. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise
A Modelling Approach to Infer the Effects of Wind Farms on Landscape Connectivity for Bats Roscioni, F., Rebelo, H., Russo, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Bats
Environmental aspects of designing multi-purpose offshore platforms in the scope of the FP7 TROPOS Project Lu, S., Yu, J., Golmen, L. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Black Bears (Ursus americanus) as a Novel Potential Predator of Agassiz's Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) at a California Wind Energy Facility Lovich, J., Delaney, D., Briggs, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Terrestrial Mammals, Reptiles
Enrichment and Shifts in Macrobenthic Assemblages in an Offshore Wind Farm Area in the Belgian Part of the North Sea Coates, D., Deschutter, Y., Vincx, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Short-Term Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Greater Sage-Grouse Fitness LeBeau, C., Beck, J., Johnson, G. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm - Decision Letter & Conditions McKie, J. Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Engagement
Soaring Migratory Birds Avoid Wind Farm in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Southern Mexico Villegas-Patraca, R., Cabrera-Cruz, S., Herrera-Alsina, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Habitat Change Birds
Effects of Wind Energy Development on Nesting Ecology of Greater Prairie-Chickens in Fragmented Grasslands McNew, L., Hunt, L., Gregory, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Habitat Use and Selection of Black Scoters in Southern New England and Siting of Offshore Wind Energy Facilities Loring, P., Paton, P., Osenkowski, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds
Measuring the Interaction Between Marine Features of Special Protection Areas with Offshore Wind Farm Development Sites Through Telemetry: Final Report Thaxter, C., Ross-Smith, V., Clark, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Construction and Post-Construction Avian and Bat Monitoring Plan Block Island Wind Farm Tetra Tech Inc. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Physical Environment
Land cover and topography affect the land transformation caused by wind facilities Diffendorfer, J., Compton, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change
Assessing the Impact of Windfarms in Subtidal, Exposed Marine Areas Dahlgren, T., Schläppy, M., Saskov, A. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Ecosystem Processes
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