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.
The table below contains the literature relevant to this summary document and will continue to be updated as new literature is added to Tethys.
| Title | Author | Date Sort ascending | Content Type | Technology | Stressor | Receptor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressing Tidal Energy Through Organized Data Approaches | Copping, A., Hemery, L., Garavelli, L., Freeman, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles | |
| Misplaced fears? What the evidence reveals of the ecological effects of tidal power generation | Ascher, S., Gray, I., Collins, C. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Changes in Flow, Collision, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals | |
| Environmental effects of marine renewable energy off-grid and micro-grid applications: a use case approach to assess existing knowledge and remaining uncertainties | Hemery, L., Weicht, L., Copping, A., Garavelli, L. | Conference Paper | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts | |
| Minimizing environmental risks to progress the marine renewable energy industry | Garavelli, L., Rose, D., Freeman, M., Hemery, L., Farr, H., Copping, A. | Conference Paper | Marine Energy | Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | ||
| Environmental Risks and Impacts of Offshore Energy: A Literature Review | Pontinha, D., Bispo, L., Gervásio, H., Aktuglu, Y. | Conference Paper | Marine Energy, OTEC, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning | |
| Impacts of nitrogen-to-phosphorus imbalance from hybrid ocean thermal energy conversion operations on benthic communities and coastal ecosystem management | Leng, Q., Yusuff, F., Zhang, W., Hassan, Z., Mohamed, K.N., Zainordin, N.S. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, OTEC | Chemicals, Habitat Change | Invertebrates | |
| Offshore wave energy converter array poses threat to coasts causing significant rip currents | Cao, X., Shi, J., Zheng, J., Zhang, C., Pan, J. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Changes in Flow, Habitat Change | Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment | |
| Addressing Place-Based Environmental Questions to Enable Marine Energy Deployments | Hemery, L., Copping, A., Jones, K. | Presentation | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave | Entanglement, Habitat Change | Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement | |
| Sea Space Analysis for Wave and Tidal Energy | Lee, S., Strong, V., Anning, D., Buecker, N., Flanary, C., Chang, G., Escajeda, E. , Kramer, S., Mullany, D. | Report | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave | Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts | |
| Evaluation of macro and meiobenthic community structure and distribution in the hybrid ocean thermal energy conversion discharge area of Port Dickson | Leng, Q., Mohamat-Yusuff, F., Mohamed, K.N., Zainordin, N.S., Hassan, Z. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, OTEC | Habitat Change | Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Water Quality | |
| Environmental impact evaluation of an oscillating water column | Rubio-Clemente, A., Gallego-Ramírez, C., Chica, E. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Habitat Change, Noise | Physical Environment, Human Dimensions | |
| The contribution of the SafeWAVE EU project to the future development of ocean energy | Bald, J., Galparsoro, I., Mandiola, G., de Santiago, I., Menchaca, I., Uyarra, M., Pouso, S., Uriarte, A., Muxika, I., Sobradillo, B., Vinagre, P., Machado, I., Clementino, L., Chainho, P., Correia, J., Soulard, T., Le Bourhis, E., Felis, I., Garcia, A., Verling, E., O'Hagan, A., Dunphy, N., Smith, A., Iglesias, G., Lennon, B., Torre-Enciso, Y., Zubiate, L., Chambel, J., Cardoso, S., Santos, H., Geerinckx, Q., Troussard, C., Tanguy, F., Longeroche, J., Magaldi, P. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind | Changes in Flow, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | ||
| Effects and management implications of emerging marine renewable energy technologies | Copping, A., Wood, D., Rumes, B., Zin Ong, E., Golmen, L., Mulholland, R., Harrod, O. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, OTEC, Salinity Gradient | Chemicals, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals | |
| Stressor-Specific Guidance Document: Changes in Habitat | OES-Environmental | Report | Marine Energy | Habitat Change | ||
| Tidal Stream Energy Project: Collision Risk Data and Evidence Summary | Phillips, E., Wren, S., King, G., San Martin, E. | Report | Marine Energy, Tidal | Avoidance, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy | |
| Sustainability Assessment of an Oscillating Water Column During the Design, Installation, Operation, and Disassembly Phases | Gallego-Ramírez, C., López-Mosquera, J., Chica, E., Rubio-Clemente, A. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wave | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike | Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts | |
| Outlook on the development of eco-friendly offshore renewable energy technologies | Sun, P., Jiang, Z., Chen, Y., Song, X., Pang, Y., Cai, B., Xu, X., Li, Y. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning | |
| A Fuzzy Logic Technique for the Environmental Impact Assessment of Marine Renewable Energy Power Plants | Flores, P., Mendoza, E. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Ocean Current, OTEC, Tidal, Wave | Attraction, Avoidance, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Visual Impacts | |
| Marine Fish Passage: Underappreciated Threats to Connectivity Within the Marine Environment | Lennox, R., Birnie-Gauvin, K., Bate, C., Cooke, S. , Haraldstad, T., Berhe, S., Penney, H., Bangley, C., Vollset, K., Piczak, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Riverine, Tidal, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning | |
| Shetland Tidal Array Monitoring Report July 2023 to June 2024 | Smith, K. | Report | Marine Energy, Tidal | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change | Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals | |
| Impacts of thermal and cold discharge from power plants on marine benthos and its mitigation measures: a systematic review | Leng, Q., Mohamat-Yusuff, F., Mohamed, K.N., Zainordin, N.S., Hassan, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, OTEC | Habitat Change | Fish, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality | |
| SafeWave Deliverable 2.7 Development Of Guidelines For Environmental Monitoring | Muxika, I., Bourhis, E., Felis, I., Imperadore, A., Uriarte, A., Vinagre, P., Bald, J. | Report | Marine Energy, Wave | EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | Fish, Physical Environment | |
| SafeWave Deliverable 2.6 Data Results and analysis towards impacts' evaluation | Bourhis, E., Soulard, T., Vinagre, P., Clementino, L., Imperadore, A., Muxika, I., Uriarte, A., Bald, J. | Report | Marine Energy, Wave | EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | ||
| Wave and Tidal Energy: Evaluation of Feasibility, Costs, and Benefits Senate Bill 605 Report | Lee, S., Strong, V., Aspen Environmental Group | Report | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave | Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Social & Economic Data | |
| MASTS ASM 2024 Workshop Proceeding: Tracking Top Predators in Marine Renewable Energy Development Areas | Sutherland, J. | Workshop Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy | Attraction, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change | Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds | |
| A review of benthic ecological surveying for marine renewable developments in Scottish waters | Aquatera | Report | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Habitat Change | Fish, Invertebrates | |
| Marine infrastructure support fewer producers and more filter feeders than natural habitats: a review and meta-analysis | McKibbin, O., Verges, A., Pottier, P., Mayer-Pinto, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Habitat Change | Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning | |
| OES-Environmental 2024 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World | OES-Environmental | Report | Marine Energy, OTEC, Tidal, Wave | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Terrestrial Mammals, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Recreation & Tourism, Stakeholder Engagement | |
| 2024 State of the Science Report - Chapter 3: Marine Renewable Energy: Stressor-Receptor Interactions | Garavelli, L., Hemery, L., Rose, D., Farr, H., Whiting, J., Copping, A. | Report | Marine Energy, OTEC, Tidal, Wave | Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles | |
| Recent Advances in Assessing Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Around the World | Copping, A., Martinez, L., Hemery, L., Hutchison, I., Jones, K., Kaplan, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Ocean Current, OTEC, Riverine, Salinity Gradient, Tidal, Wave | Attraction, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment | |
| Musseling through: Mytilus byssal thread production is unaffected by continuous noise | Wang, S., Ellrich, J., Beermann, J., Pogoda, B., Boersma, M. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Habitat Change, Noise | Ecosystem Processes | |
| Sheltering effect of various wave energy converter archetypes in arrays | Vitale, O., Haji, M. | Presentation | Marine Energy, Wave | Habitat Change | Physical Environment | |
| Modeling the fluid dynamics for the Tanana River Test Site in Alaska: A Comparison of Simulated Data and Field Measurements | Alvarado, E., Olson, S., Schuster, J., Keester, A., McVey, J. | Presentation | Marine Energy, Riverine | Habitat Change | Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment | |
| A comprehensive review on scour and scour protections for complex bottom-fixed offshore and marine renewable energy foundations | Chambel, J., Fazeres-Ferradosa, T., Miranda, F., Bento, A., Taveira-Pinto, F., Lomonaco, P. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Habitat Change | Physical Environment | |
| Local and regional interactions between tidal stream turbines and coastal environment | Li, X., Li, M., Wolf, J., Williams, A., Badoe, C., Masters, I. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal | Changes in Flow, Habitat Change | Physical Environment, Sediment Transport | |
| Environmental impacts from large-scale offshore renewable-energy deployment | Ouro, P., Fernandez, R., Armstrong, A., Brooks, B., Burton, R., Folkard, A., Ilić, S., Parkes, B., Schultz, D., Stallard, T., Watson, F. | Journal Article | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport | |
| Wave Energy Economic and Environmental Aspects Strengths (S), Weakness (W), Opportunity (O), and Threats (T) | AlMallahi, M., Delvana, H., Haj Assad, M., Kumar, L., Elgendi, M. | Conference Paper | Marine Energy, Wave | Changes in Flow, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Social & Economic Data | |
| Investigating displacement of marine animals as a potential effect of marine renewable energy development | Hemery, L., Garavelli, L., Copping, A., Farr, H., Jones, K. | Conference Paper | Marine Energy | Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise | Fish, Marine Mammals | |
| Improving Understanding of Environmental Effects from Single MRE Devices to Arrays | Hasselman, D., Hemery, L., Copping, A., Fulton, E., Fox, J., Gill, A., Polagye, B. | Conference Paper | Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave | Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | ||
| Assessment of ocean energy systems as a source of energy for a proposed aquaculture ecosystem in Guam | Peralta, F. | Conference Paper | Marine Energy, OTEC, Wave | Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Habitat Change | Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning, Social & Economic Data |