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 Related to Habitat Change

Total results: 1392
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Shetland Tidal Array Decommissioning Environmental and Protected Species Risk Assessment Smith, K. Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Forecasting suitable areas for wind turbine occurrence to proactively improve wildlife conservation Boggie, M., Butler, M., Sesnie, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Human Dimensions
Shetland Tidal Array Monitoring Report April 2022 to July 2023 Nova Innovation Report Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds, Waterfowl, Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds
Reef-building species and biogenic reef enhancement in the Dutch North Sea Sas, H., van Duren, L., Herman, P. Report Habitat Change Invertebrates
Offshore wind project-level monitoring in the Northeast U.S. continental shelf ecosystem: evaluating the potential to mitigate impacts to long-term scientific surveys Methratta, E., Lipsky, A., Boucher, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind EMF, Habitat Change Fish, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Lesser prairie-chicken habitat selection and survival relative to a wind energy facility located in a fragmented landscape LeBeau, C., Smith, K., Kosciuch, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Suivi écologique le long du fuseau: Suivi substrats rocheux et enrochements en 2021: Suivi substrats meubles en 2022 TBM Environnement Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates, Physical Environment
Residency and habitat use of European lobster (Homarus gammarus) within an offshore wind farm Thatcher, H., Stamp, T., Wilcockson, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Invertebrates
Offshore Wind Energy Development and North Atlantic Right Whales Silber, G., Dangerfield, A., Smith, J. Report Wind Energy Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Scenario studies on potential ecosystem effects in future offshore wind farms in the North Sea Zijl, F., Stendert, L., Leummens, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality
Annual environmental report 2022 – Belwind Belwind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental benthos survey, Hywind Scotland Moskeland, T. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
A wind of change for soft-sediment infauna within operational offshore windfarms Lefaible, N., Braeckman, U., Degraer, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates, Physical Environment
Metabarcoding of sediment eDNA communities at the Hywind Scotland OWF – A pilot study Hestetun, J., Dahlgren, T. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change
Development of a Cumulative Impact Assessment tool for birds in Norwegian Offshore Waters: Trollvind OWF as a case study Layton-Matthews, K., Buckingham, L., Critchley, E. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds
Information to support Environmental Assessment of tidal lagoon developments in Wales Natural Resource Wales Guidance Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
No Observed Effects of Subsea Renewable Energy Infrastructure on Benthic Environments Smyth, D., Kregting, L. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Physical Environment
The effect of offshore windfarms on hyperbenthic communities in the Belgian Part of the North Sea Vansteelandt, M. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Invertebrates, Physical Environment
Sustainable wind energy planning through ecosystem service impact valuation and exergy: A study case in south-central Chile Martínez-Martínez, Y., Dewulf, J., Aguayo, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality
Metabolomics for in situ monitoring of attached Crassostrea gigas and Mytilus edulis: Effects of offshore wind farms on aquatic organisms Wang, K., Gao, Z., Ru, X. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change, Noise Invertebrates
Parc Éolien en Mer de Saint-Nazaire Banc de Guérande: Suivi halieutique en phase de construction Hacquebart, P., Couraud, L. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Fish, Physical Environment
New insights into the influence of turbines on the behaviour of migrant birds: implications for predicting impacts of offshore wind developments on wildlife Willmott, J., Forcey, G., Vukovich, M. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, Habitat Change Birds
Ocean Wind 1 Construction and Operations Plan Ocean Wind 1 Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions
Offshore Wind Energy and Marine Biodiversity in the North Sea: Life Cycle Impact Assessment for Benthic Communities Li, C., Coolen, J., Scherer, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Physical Environment
Large-scale effects of offshore wind farms on seabirds of high conservation concern Garthe, S., Schwemmer, H., Peschko, V. Journal Article Wind Energy Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Ornithological and Marine Fauna Aerial Digital Survey: First Semiannual Report Normandeau Associates Inc Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Characterizing seabed sediments at contrasting offshore renewable energy sites Amjadian, P., Neill, S., Barclay, V. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
An integrated conceptual model to characterize the effects of offshore wind farms on ecosystem services Baulaz, Y., Mouchet, M., Niquil, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Thornton Bank Offshore Wind Farm Annual Report 2022 Magnus, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Drivers of bat activity at wind turbines advocate for mitigating bat exposure using multicriteria algorithm-based curtailment Barre, K., Froidevaux, J., Sotillo, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision, Habitat Change Bats
Coastal upwelling drives ecosystem temporal variability from the surface to the abyssal seafloor Messie, M., Sherlock, R., Huffard, C. Journal Article Habitat Change
Spatial Trade-Offs in National Land-Based Wind Power Production in Times of Biodiversity and Climate Crises Grimsrud, K., Hagem, C., Haaskjold, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Anholt Offshore Windfarm - Stabilisation of Cable Protection Systems and Cables at Scour Protected Monopile Locations and the Offshore Substation Grindlay, S., Fischer, G. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
Effects of habitat factors on the plant diversity on naturally-restored wind farm slopes Wang, P., Yu, H., Xiao, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Increased food availability at offshore wind farms affects trophic ecology of plaice Pleuronectes platessa Buyse, J., Hostens, K., Degraer, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Physical Environment
The effect of artificial reef design on the attraction of herbivorous fish and on coral recruitment, survival, and growth Hylkema, A., Debrot, A., Cammenga, R. Journal Article Attraction, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish
eDNA metabarcoding reveals distinct fish and invertebrate diversity patterns in the shallow and well-mixed Belgian part of the North Sea Cornelis, I., De Backer, A., Vanhollebeke, J. Presentation Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates
Impacts of human activities on the supply of marine ecosystem services: A conceptual model for offshore wind farms to aid quantitative assessments Van de Pol, L., Van der Biest, K., Taelman, S. E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Site Selection of Combined Offshore Wind and Wave Energy Farms: A Systematic Review Hosseinzadeh, S., Etemad-Shahidi, A., Stewart, R. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave, Wind Energy Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data
Opportunistic Offshore Sighting of a Tricolored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus) Bort Thornton, J., Richlen, M., McDonald, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Bats
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