Abstract
This report presents a summary of existing evidence, and potential research opportunities, to inform assessment of cumulative collision with offshore windfarm of black-legged kittiwakes. This work has been undertaken on behalf of The Offshore Wind Strategic Monitoring Research Forum (OWSMRF). OWSMRF is an industry-led collaborative forum that aims to identify and develop research to fill critical knowledge gaps in our understanding of the impact of offshore wind development on the marine environment.
OWSMRF stakeholders identified cumulative impacts on kittiwakes as the priority need for improving understanding of offshore windfarm environmental impacts. Improving understanding of collision-induced mortality was identified as one of the key knowledge gaps in this area. JNCC has collaborated with experts in this field to provide a summary of potential research which might help to reduce uncertainty in estimates of collision-induced mortality. This report provides a summary of existing relevant research and evidence, and research opportunities that have been identified to help reduce the uncertainty.