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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: 1636

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
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
Development of hard substratum fauna in the Princess Amalia Wind Farm: Monitoring six years after construction Vanagt, T., Faasse, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
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
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
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
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
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
Roundfish monitoring Princess amalia Wind Farm van Hal, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish
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
Examining potential effects of marine renewable energy developments on top predators Philpott, E. Thesis Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment
Reducing Bat Fatalities From Interactions with Operating Wind Turbines (Fact Sheet) Lawson, M. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Bats
Monitor the Impact of Marine Renewable Energy Devices on Local Environment Liu, J., Xu, F., An, X. Journal Article Marine Energy Habitat Change Fish, Physical Environment
Hywind Scotland Pilot Park Project Phase 1 Intertidal Survey Report Xodus Group Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds, Physical Environment
Impact of Secondary Hard Substrate on the Distribution and Abundance of Aurelia aurita in the Western Baltic Sea Janßen, H., Augustin, C., Hinrichsen, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
From Ground to Above Canopy - Bat Activity in Mature Forests is Driven by Vegetation Density and Height Muller, J., Brandl, R., Buchner, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Evaluating Greater Sage-Grouse Seasonal Space Use Relative to Leks: Implications for Surface Use Designations in Sagebrush Ecosystems Coates, P., Casazza, M., Blomberg, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Nesting Burrowing Owl Density and Abundance in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, California Smallwood, K., Neher, L., Mount, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Modeling the Distribution of Migratory Bird Stopovers to Inform Landscape-Scale Siting of Wind Development Pocewicz, A., Estes-Zumpf, W., Andersen, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds

Displaying 1081 - 1120 of 1636 results