Marine Renewable Energy: An Introduction to Environmental Effects

Introduction

This brochure was developed by OES-Environmental to provide an overview of the environmental effects of marine renewable energy (MRE) development. The goal of the brochure is to familiarize readers with the latest scientific information on the potential impacts of installation and operation of MRE devices.

First, MRE technologies are briefly described, as well as how effects on the environment are defined. Then, individual sections about each environmental risk are presented. Each section includes a description of the issue, the current status of the risk based on scientific data, recommendations for minimizing risk, and a case study from a real-world project or research study. The brochure concludes by sharing the concepts of risk retirement and data transferability as developed by OES-Environmental.

Information compiled in the brochure comes from the following sources: 

Click on the image below to open the interactive version of the brochure, or download a printable version here.

Brochure Cover

    Additional Resources

    These resources provide additional information on the topics contained in the brochure. 

    Case Study References

    The references for information contained in the case studies for each section are listed below to provide additional context.

    Collision:

    Underwater Noise:

    Electromagnetic Fields:

    Changes in Habitat:

    Oceanographic Systems:

    Entanglement

    Displacement:

    Socioeconomics:

    Risk Retirement:

    Data Transferability: