Short Science Summary: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats

Marine Habitat

Potential Environmental Effects on Habitats from Marine Renewable Energy: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats

Most marine renewable energy (MRE) devices must be attached to the seafloor in some way, either by gravity foundations, pilings, or anchors, and many will also have transmission cables on the seabed, and mooring lines, as well as the devices themselves in the water column. Physical changes in benthic and pelagic habitats have the potential to alter where species live and how common they are at a site, and they may lead to habitat loss, provide opportunities for non-native species to become established, alter ecological patterns, modify ecosystem functions and the services the ecosystem provides, and affect the behavior of many marine organisms.

This Short Science Summary was developed based on the OES-Environmental 2020 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World, specifically Chapter 6: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats Caused by Marine Renewable Energy Devices.

Download the Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats Short Science Summary

The table below contains the literature relevant to environmental effects of habitat change and will continue to be updated as new literature is added to Tethys.

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Adaptive responses to landscape changes from onshore wind energy development in the Republic of Ireland Hallan, C., González, A. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Modelling the impact of tidal range energy on species communities Baker, A., Craighead, R., Jarvis, E., Stenton, H., Angeloudis, A., Mackie, L., Avdis, A., Piggott, M., Hill, J. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), Tidal Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates
Quantifying the differences in avian attack rates on reptiles between an infrastructure and a control site Law, C., Lancaster, L., Hall, J., Handy, S., Hinchliffe, M., O’Brien, C., O’Brien, K., Watts, S., O’Brien, D. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Reptiles
OES-Environmental 2020 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World Copping, A., Hemery, L. Report Marine Energy (General), Tidal, Wave Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entrapment, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Waterfowl, Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Reptiles, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Social & Economic Data
2020 State of the Science Report - Chapter 6: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats Caused by Marine Renewable Energy Devices Hemery, L. Report Marine Energy (General), Tidal, Wave Habitat Change
Activity-footprints, pressures-footprints and effects-footprints-Walking the pathway to determining and managing human impacts in the sea Elliott, M., Borja, A., Cormier, R. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Using Artificial-Reef Knowledge to Enhance the Ecological Function of Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations: Implications for Fish Abundance and Diversity Glarou, M., Zrust, M., Svendsen, J. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Attraction, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish
Understanding coastal impacts by nearshore wave farms using a phase-resolving wave model Rijnsdorp, D., Hansen, J., Lowe, R. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), Wave Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Science in support of ecologically sound decommissioning strategies for offshore man-made structures: taking stock of current knowledge and considering future challenges Birchenough, S., Degraer, S. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Risk Retirement for Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Copping, A., Freeman, M., Overhus, D. Report Marine Energy (General) Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entrapment, Habitat Change, Noise Seabirds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Functional differences in trophic structure of offshore wind farm communities: A stable isotope study Mavraki, N., Degraer, S., Moens, T., Vanaverbeke, J. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates
The impact of onshore wind power projects on ecological corridors and landscape connectivity in Shanxi, China Guo, X., Zhang, X., Du, S., Li, C., Siu, Y., Rong, Y., Yang, H. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change
Structure in a sea of sand: fish abundance in relation to man-made structures in the North Sea Wright, S., Lynam, C., Righton, D., Metcalfe, J., Hunter, E., Riley, A., Garcia, L., Posen, P., Hyder, K. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish
Public perspectives on reducing the environmental impact of onshore wind farms: a discrete choice experiment in South Korea Lee, H., Yoo, S., Huh, S. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Noise Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Underwater Visual Records of Marine Megafauna Around Offshore Anthropogenic Structures Todd, V., Lazar, L., Williamson, L., Peters, I., Hoover, A., Cox, S., Todd, I., Macreadie, P., McLean, D. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Reptiles
Placement of Wind Energy Infrastructure Matters: A Quantitative Study Evaluating Response of Lesser Prairie-Chicken to a Wind Energy Facility LeBeau, C., Kauffman, M., Smith, K., Haddock, J., Tanner, A., Kosciuch, K. Report Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Consistent effects of wind turbines on habitat selection of capercaillie across Europe Coppes, J., Kämmerle, J., Grunschachner-Berger, V., Braunisch, V., Bollmann, K., Mollet, P., Suchant, R., Nopp-Mayr, U. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Challenges of future energy landscapes in Germany — a nature conservation perspective Ponitka, J., Boettner, S. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Effects of wind energy production on a threatened species, the Bicknell’s Thrush Catharus bicknelli, with and without mitigation Lemaître, J., Lamarre, V. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Passerines
Greater Sage‐Grouse Response to the Physical Footprint of Energy Development Kirol, C., Smith, K., Graf, N., Dinkins, J., LeBeau, C., Maechtle, T., Sutphin, A., Beck, J. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
The management utility of large-scale environmental drivers of bat mortality at wind energy facilities: The effects of facility size, elevation and geographic location MacGregor, K., Lemaître, J. Journal Article Wind Energy (General) Collision, Habitat Change Bats
Toward an Ecosystem Approach of Marine Renewable Energy: The Case of the Offshore Wind Farm of Courseulles-sur-Mer in the Bay of Seine Niquil, N., Raoux, A., Haraldsson, M., Araignous, E., Halouani, G., Leroy, B., Safi, G., Noguès, Q., Grangeré, K., Dauvin, J., Riera, F., Mazé, C., Le Loc’h, F., Ching Villanueva, M., Hattab, T., Bourdaud, P., Champagnat, J., Ben Rais Lasram, F. Book Chapter Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Flume experiments on the impact of a cross-flow turbine on an erodible bed Ebrahimi, M., Duncan, S., Belmont, M., Kripakaran, P., Tabor, G., Moon, I., Djordjević, S. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), Tidal Changes in Flow, Habitat Change
Towards Estimating the Biogeochemical Footprint of an Offshore Windfarm Vanavebeke, J., Braeckman, U., De Borger, E., Mavraki, N., Toussaint, E., Voet, H., van Colen, C., Degraer, S. Presentation Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Water Quality, Invertebrates
Near-field Spatial and Temporal Benthic Monitoring at the Block Island Wind Farm, USA Khan, A., Bartley, M., English, P., King, J., Hutchison, Z. Presentation Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Site wind right: Identifying low-impact wind development areas in the Central United States Hise, C., Obermeyer, B., Ahlering, M., Wilkinson, J., Fargione, J. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Potential environmental impacts of wind energy development: A global perspective Nazir, M., Ali, N., Bilal, M., Iqbal, H. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Visual Impacts
Marine stepping‐stones: Connectivity of Mytilus edulis populations between offshore energy installations Coolen, J., Boon, A., Crooijmans, R., van Pelt, H., Kleissen, F., Gerla, D., Beermann, J., Birchenough, S., Becking, L., Luttikhuizen, P. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Wind farm development on peatlands increases fluvial macronutrient loading Heal, K., Phin, A., Waldron, S., Flowers, H., Bruneau, P., Coupar, A., Cundill, A. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Water Quality
Social network analysis as a tool for marine spatial planning: Impacts of decommissioning on connectivity in the North Sea Tidbury, H., Taylor, N., van der Molen, J., Garcia, L., Posen, P., Gill, A., Lincoln, S., Judd, A., Hyder, K. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Soft Bottom Macrobenthic Communities in Sandy Enclaves from the North Cotentin Peninsula (Central English Channel) Andres, S., Pezy, J., Martinez, M., Baffreau, A., Baux, N., Mear, Y., Dauvin, J. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Engineered ecologies: Addressing energy infrastructure impacts on wildlife habitat & movement Baker, L. Thesis Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Terrestrial Mammals
Renewable Energy and Land Use in India: A Vision to Facilitate Sustainable Development Kiesecker, J., Baruch-Mordo, S., Heiner, M., Negandhi, D., Oakleaf, J., Kennedy, C., Chauhan, P. Journal Article Wind Energy (General) Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Anthropogenic threats to benthic habitats Harris, P. Book Chapter Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Regional‐scale patterns of deep seafloor biodiversity for conservation assessment O'Hara, T., Williams, A., Althaus, F., Ross, A., Bax, N. Journal Article Marine Energy (General) Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes
Potential effects of deep seawater discharge by an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plant on the marine microorganisms in oligotrophic waters Giraud, M., Garçon, V., de la Broise, D., L'Helguen, S., Sudre, J., Boyes, M. Journal Article Marine Energy (General), OTEC Habitat Change Physical Environment, Water Quality
Effects from wave power generators on the distribution of two sea pen species on the Swedish west coast Bender, A., Sundberg, J. Conference Paper Wave, Marine Energy (General) Habitat Change Invertebrates
Oil and gas platforms as artificial substrates for epibenthic North Sea fauna: Effects of location and depth Schutter, M., Dorenbosch, M., Driessen, F., Lengkeek, W., Bos, O., Coolen, J. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Attraction Invertebrates, Fish
Wind farms in the Icelandic highlands: Attitudes of local residents and tourism service providers Ólafsdóttir, R., Sæþórsdóttir, A. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Recreation & Tourism
Fish densities associated with structural elements of oil and gas platforms in southern California Meyer-Gutbrod, E., Kui, L., Nishimoto, M., Love, M., Schroeder, D., Miller, R. Journal Article Wind Energy (General), Offshore Wind, Marine Energy (General) Habitat Change Fish
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