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Habitat Change

Underwater tidal turbine
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: 1556

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Upland Land use Predicts Population Decline in a Globally Near-Threatened Wader Douglas, D., Bellamy, P., Stephen, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Can the effect of tall structures on birds be isolated from other aspects of development? Walters, K., Kosciuch, K., Jones, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Space use by Female Greater Prairie-Chickens in Response to Wind Energy Development Winder, V., NcNew, L., Gregory, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Assessing Risk to Birds from Industrial Wind Energy Development via Paired Resource Selection Models Miller, T., Brooks, R., Lanzone, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds
The Ecology of Benthopelagic Fishes at Offshore Wind Farms: A Synthesis of 4 Years of Research Reubens, J., Degraer, S., Vincx, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish
The Co-Location of Offshore Windfarms and Decapod Fisheries in the UK: Constraints and Opportunities Hooper, T., Austen, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Attraction Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Study on the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Autumn Migration, Northeastern Bulgaria Gerdzhikov, G., Ilieva, M., Nikolov, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Shorebirds
Understanding the potential effects of wave energy devices on kelp biotopes Macleod, A., Orr, K., Greenhill, L. Report Wave Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Diel Variation in Feeding and Movement Patterns of Juvenile Atlantic Cod at Offshore Wind Farms Reubens, J., Rijcke, M., Degraer, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish
Predicting Spatial Patterns of Eagle Migration using a Mesoscale Atmospheric Model: A Case Study Associated with a Mountain-Ridge Wind Development Ainslie, B., Alexander, N., Johnson, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
PMEC-NETS Annual Operations and Monitoring Report 2013 Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) Report Marine Energy, Wave EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Environmental Survey Report Hywind Offshore Windfarm MMT Sweden Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Predicting and Mapping Potential Whooping Crane Stopover Habitat to Guide Site Selection for Wind Energy Projects Belaire, J., Kreakie, B., Keitt, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Energy Profiling of Demersal Fish: A Case-Study in Wind Farm Artificial Reefs De Troch, M., Reubens, J., Heirman, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish
Comparing the Ecological Impacts of Wind and Oil and Gas Development: A Landscape Scale Assessment Jones, N., Pejchar, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
How Deep does an Anchor Penetrate the Seafloor? Maushake, C. Workshop Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Spatial Ecology of Female Mule Deer in an Area Proposed for Wind Energy Development Webb, S., Dzialak, M., Houchen, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Terrestrial Mammals

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