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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: 1594

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
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, Human Dimensions
Environmental Restoration & Net Gain: Understanding the influence of man-made structures in the marine environment Howell Marine Consulting Report Wind Energy Habitat Change
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
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
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
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
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
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
Marine Biodiversity: Understanding the influence of man-made structures in the marine environment Howell Marine Consulting Report Wind Energy Habitat Change
Interdisciplinary analysis of wind energy - a focus on France Kinani, K., Meunier, S., Vido, L. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts
Floating Wind Power in Deep-Sea Area: Life Cycle Assessment of Environmental Impacts Yuan, W., Feng, J., Zhang, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Data on benthic species assemblages and seafloor sediment characteristics in an offshore windfarm in the southeastern North Sea Teschke, K., Gusky, M., Gutow, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Birds vs. wind power – significant bird impacts of wind turbines in Finnish environmental impact assessment reports Hagman, A. Thesis Wind Energy Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment: Wave Swell Energy Test Site, Grassy Harbour, King Island, Tasmania Marine Solutions Report Marine Energy, Wave Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Functional trait responses to different anthropogenic pressures Festjens, F., Buyse, J., De Backer, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Supporting National Environmental Policy Act Documentation for Offshore Wind Energy Development Related to Glauconite Sand Bruggeman, G., Middleton, P., Barnhart, B. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
EU Species Protection Law and Wind Energy: Current Challenges and Danish Experiences Anker, H., Olsen, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Human Dimensions
Benthic and Epifaunal Monitoring During Operation at the Block Island Wind Farm, Rhode Island: Technical Report: Year 4 Erickson, R., Kelly, C., Fonseca, M. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Demersal Fish, Invertebrates
SFW01-0097 South Fork Fisheries Monitoring Plan WP4: Fish Pot Survey Year 2 Report Bethoney, N., Olsen, N. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
The impact of onshore wind farms on ecological corridors in Ningbo, China Guan, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Physical Environment
Reconciling climate action with the need for biodiversity protection, restoration and rehabilitation Gorman, C., Torsney, A., Gaughran, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy
Organic matter processing in a [simulated] offshore wind farm ecosystem in current and future climate and aquaculture scenarios Voet, H., Vlaminck, E., van Colen, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions
Offshore wind farm construction is noisy – but gadgets used to protect marine mammals are working Graham, I. Magazine Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Noise
Minimizing habitat conflicts in meeting net-zero energy targets in the western United States Wu, G., Jones, R., Leslie, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes

Displaying 321 - 360 of 1594 results