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: 1507

Searches title and abstract.
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
The Impacts of Roads and other Infrastructure on Mammal and Bird Populations: A Meta-Analysis Benitez-Lopez, A., Alkemade, R., Verweij, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Terrestrial Mammals, Birds
Effects Of Wave Energy Converters On The Surrounding Soft-bottom Macrofauna (west Coast Of Sweden) Langhamer, O. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Invertebrates
Adapting Offshore Wind Power Foundations to Local Environment Hammar, L., Andersson, S., Rosenberg, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Pre-installation ROV survey of proposed development site in Falls of Warness test area Runciman, D. Report Marine Energy Habitat Change
A Currency for Offsetting Energy Development Impacts: Horse-Trading Sage-Grouse on the Open Market Doherty, K., Naugle, D., Evans, J. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
What Can Birds Tell Us about the Migration Physiology of Bats? McGuire, L., Guglielmo, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Bats
Screening for Biofouling and Corrosion of Tidal Energy Device Materials: In-Situ Results for Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington Polagye, B., Thomson, J. Report Tidal, Marine Energy Habitat Change
Spatial analyses of emerging and fading wind energy landscapes in Denmark Moller, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Determination of Raptor Migratory Pathways over a Large Landscape Seeland, H. Thesis Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Raptors, Birds
Birds, Wind and the Making of Wind Power Landscapes in Aude, Southern France Nadaï, A., Labussiere, O. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm - Scoping Opinion Thompson, F. Guidance Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Engagement
Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm - Scoping Report Szylak, S. Report Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Waterfowl, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Navigation
Predicting the trends of vertebrate species richness as a response to wind farms installation in mountain ecosystems of northwest Portugal Santos, M., Bastos, R., Travassos, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
A Further Review of Sediment Monitoring Data Carroll, B., Cooper, B., Dewey, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Sediment Transport, Physical Environment
Avian, bat and habitat cumulative impacts associated with wind energy development in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion of Eastern Washington and Oregon Johnson, G., Erickson, W. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Expansion of Hitra Wind-Power Plant - Consequences Related to Wildlife Except Birds Veiberg, V., Pedersen, H. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Terrestrial Mammals
The Effects of Landscape Modifications on the Long-Term Persistence of Animal Populations Nabe-Nielsen, J., Sibly, R., Forchhammer, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Investigating the impacts of windfarm development on peatlands in England Maslen Environmental Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Dønnesfjord Windpark, Hasvik Municipality: Impact Assessment, Evaluation of Natural Environment Jacobsen, K., Borg, L., Johnsen, T. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Flow Modification in Tory Channel Plew, D., Stevens, C. Research Study Tidal, Marine Energy Habitat Change, Changes in Flow Physical Environment
Introduction: offshore wind energy development in the Belgian part of the North Sea & anticipated impacts Brabant, R., Jacques, T. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Stakeholder Engagement
Seasonal variation and vertical zonation of the marine biofouling on a concrete offshore windmill foundation on the Thornton Bank (southern North Sea) Kerckhof, F., Rumes, B., Norro, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates, Physical Environment
Best Management Practices for Bats in New Mexico Balistreri, M. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change Bats
The Future of the Atlantic Marine Environment (FAME) de Liedekerke, V., Owen, E., Crawford, R. Research Study Wave, Marine Energy Habitat Change, Collision Seabirds, Birds
Ecosystem Based Modeling and Indication of Ecological Integrity in the German North Sea - Case Study Offshore Wind Parks Burkhard, B., Opitz, S., Lenhart, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Marine Renewable Energy and the Environment (MaREE) Adams, T., Bainbridge, J., Benjamins, S. Research Study Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
GIS-Based Environmental Assessment of Wind Energy Systems for Spatial Planning: A Case Study from Western Turkey Aydin, N., Kentel, E., Duzgun, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Offshore Wind Farms in the Belgian Part of the North Sea: Early Environmental Impact Assessment and Spatio-Temporal Variability Degraer, S., Brabant, R., Rumes, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Development of Underwater Flora and Fauna Communities on Hard Substrates of the Offshore Wind Farm Egmond aan Zee Lengkeek, W., Bouma, S. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Pre- and Post-Construction Studies of Conflicts Between Birds and Wind Turbines in Coastal Norway (Bird Wind): Progress Report 2009 Bevanger, K., Berntsen, F., Clausen, S. Report Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Large Scale Risk-Assessment of Wind-Farms on Population Viability of a Globally Endangered Long-Lived Raptor Carrete, M., Sanchez-Zapata, J., Benitez, J. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change Raptors, Birds
Electrical power generation from ocean currents in the Straits of Florida: Some environmental considerations Finkl, C., Charlier, R. Journal Article Marine Energy, Ocean Current EMF, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment
Advanced Anchoring and Mooring Study Sound and Sea Technologies Report Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change
Refugium Effects of the MEP-NSW Windpark on Fish: Progress Report 2007 HilleRisLambers, R., ter Hofstede, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish
Modelling Human Impacts on the Tasmanian Wedge-Tailed Eagle (Aquila audax fleayi) Bekessy, S., Wintle, B., Gordon, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Raptors, Birds
Map-Based Repowering and Reorganization of a Wind Resource Area to Minimize Burrowing Owl and Other Bird Fatalities Smallwood, K., Neher, L., Bell, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Raptors
Preliminary Flora and Fauna Assessment - Penshurst Wind Farm McMahon, A., Marr, R. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change
Wave Energy Conversion and the Marine Environment: Colonization Patterns and Habitat Dynamics Langhamer, O. Thesis Wave, Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates, Fish
Towers, Turbines, Power Lines, and Buildings-Steps Being Taken by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Avoid or Minimize Take of Migratory Birds at these Structures Manville, A. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Colonisation of Fish and Crabs of Wave Energy Foundations and the Effects of Manufactured Holes - A Field Experiment Langhamer, O., Wilhelmsson, D. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Displaying 1241 - 1280 of 1507 results