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
Multi-Criteria Assessment of Offshore Wind Turbine Support Structures Lozano-Minguez, E., Kolios, A., Brennan, F. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change
Results of the EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment of the extraction of marine aggregates in the exploration zone of the Belgian Part of the North Sea De Sutter, R., Mathys, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Demersal Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Social & Economic Data
Kaneohe Wave Energy Test Site: Multibeam Bathymetry Survey Sea Engineering Inc Report Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Physical Environment
Environmental Scoping Report Westray South Tidal Array SSE Renewables Report Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Human Dimensions
Spatial Factors Affecting Statistical Power in Testing Marine Fauna Displacement Lapeña, B., Wijnberg, K., Stein, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Displacement Birds
Marine Ecological Assessment of Proposed Wave Energy Project Area Offshore Marine Corps Base Hawaii Smith, S. Report Marine Energy, Wave Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Physical and Biological Modeling of a 100 Megawatt Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Discharge Plume Rocheleau, G., Grandelli, P. Conference Paper Marine Energy, OTEC Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
Seabird Conservation and Tidal Stream and Wave Power Generation: Information Needs for Predicting and Managing Potential Impacts Langton, R., Davies, I., Scott, B. Journal Article Wave, Tidal, Marine Energy Habitat Change Seabirds, Birds
GIS-based wind farm site selection using spatial multi-criteria analysis (SMCA): Evaluating the case for New York State van Haaren, R., Fthenakis, V. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Oyster 2 (Phase 1) Decommissioning Programme Aquamarine Power Ltd Report Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Physical Environment
Using Stakeholder Input to Develop a Comparative Risk Assessment for Wildlife from the Life Cycles of Six Electrical Generation Fuels Zillioux, E., Newman, J., Lampman, G. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Stakeholder Engagement, Life Cycle Assessment, Human Dimensions, Birds, Bats
Turtles and Culverts, and Alternative Energy Development: An Unreported but Potentially Significant Mortality Threat to the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) Lovich, J., Ennen, J., Madrak, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Entanglement Reptiles
Patterns of activity and fatality of migratory bats at a wind energy facility in Alberta, Canada Baerwald, E., Barclay, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Bats
Bats and Bat Habitats: Guidelines for Wind Power Projects Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Report Wind Energy Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats
Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and Wind Farms: A Case Study in the Dutch North Sea Scheidat, M., Tougaard, J., Brasseur, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Attraction Marine Mammals
Effects of wind energy production on growth, demography, and survivorship of a desert tortoise population in Southern California with comparisons to natural populations Lovich, J., Ennen, J., Madrak, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Reptiles
Understanding Benthic Productivity on Artificial Structures: Maximising the Benefit of Marine Renewable Energy Devices Porter, J., Rouse, S., Wilding, T. Research Study Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Collision, Habitat Change Invertebrates
Wind Energy's Subtle Effect - Habitat Fragmentation Pruett, J. Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Human pressures on UK seabed habitats: a cumulative impact assessment Foden, J., Rogers, S., Jones, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Assessing ecological responses of wolves to wind power plants in Portugal: methodological constrains and conservation implications Álvares, F., Rio-Maior, H., Roque, S. Presentation Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Noise Terrestrial Mammals
Measuring the interaction between marine features of Special Protection Areas with offshore wind farm development zones through telemetry: first breeding season report Thaxter, C., Ross-Smith, V., Clark, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Attraction To and Avoidance of Instream Hydrokinetic Turbines by Freshwater Aquatic Organisms Cada, G., Bevelhimer, M. Report Riverine, Marine Energy Habitat Change, Avoidance, Attraction Fish, Demersal Fish
Avian, Bat and Habitat Cumulative Impacts Associated with Wind Energy Development in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion Of Eastern Washington and Oregon 2011 Johnson, G., Erickson, W. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Raptors
Proceedings of the Wind Wildlife Research Meeting VIII PNWWRM VIII Conference Paper Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Understanding Bird Collisions With Man-made Objects: A Sensory Ecology Approach Martin, G. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change, Collision Birds
Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Environmental Assessment Project Adonizio, M., Smith, R. Report Tidal, Marine Energy Habitat Change, Collision Fish
Annual environmental report 2010 - Belwind phase 1 Belwind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Navigation
Changes in the Abundance and Distribution of Upland Breeding Birds at an Operational Wind Farm Douglas, D., Bellamy, P., Pearce-Higgins, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Displacement Shorebirds, Ground-Nesting Birds, Birds
Aggregation and Feeding Behaviour of Pouting (Trisopterus luscus) at Wind Turbines in the Belgian Part of the North Sea Reubens, J., Degraer, S., Vincx, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish
Monitoring Seasonal Bat Activity on a Coastal Barrier Island in Maryland, USA Johnson, J., Gates, J., Zegre, N. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change Bats
Porpoises North of Sprogø Before, During and After Construction of an Offshore Wind Farm Tougaard, J., Carstensen, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Marine Mammals
Understanding How Marine Renewable Device Operations Influence Fine Scale Habitat Use & Behaviour of Marine Vertebrates (RESPONSE) Thompson, D., Wilson, B., Lepper, P. Research Study Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Habitat Change Marine Mammals
Birkhühner Tetrao tetrix (Linnaeus 1758): Ein Leben zwischen Windrädern und Schiliften Grunschachner-Berger, V., Kainer, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Cantabrian Capercaillie signs disappeared after a wind farm construction Gonzalez, M., Ena, V. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Intervisibility Analysis of an Offshore Wind Farm Using GIS Tools Errico, A., Guastaferro, F., Oliviero, C. Book Chapter Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Coastal Marine Animal Surveys Kajiura, S. Research Study Marine Energy EMF, Habitat Change Marine Mammals, Reptiles
Demography of Female Greater Prairie-Chickens in Unfragmented Grasslands in Kansas Augustine, J., Sandercock, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Long-Term Post-Fire Effects on Spatial Ecology and Reproductive Output of Female Agassiz's Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) at a Wind Energy Facility near Palm Springs, California, USA Lovich, J., Ennen, J., Madrak, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Reptiles
Collision risk of White-fronted Geese with wind turbines Sugimoto, H., Matsuda, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Raptors, Waterfowl
Appropriate Assessment Screening for AMETS, Co. Mayo Scally, L. Research Study Wave, Marine Energy Habitat Change, Collision Birds
Displaying 1201 - 1240 of 1533 results