Habitat Change

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

Affiliated Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Total results: 1361
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Acoustic and Benthic Targeted Research Work Groups: Summary of Findings Roberts, J., Peplinski, W., Kramer, S. Report Marine Energy Habitat Change, Noise Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
Sediment Deposition Following Construction of a Breakwater Harbor: Point Judith Harbor of Refuge, Rhode Island, USA Oakley, B., Murphy, C., Lee, K. Journal Article Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions
A Review on Environmental and Social Impacts of Thermal Gradient and Tidal Currents Energy Conversion and Application to the Case of Chiapas, Mexico Rivera, G., Felix, A., Mendoza, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, OTEC, Tidal Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions
Experimental Investigation of Scour Prediction Methods for Offshore Tripod and Hexapod Foundations Ni, X., Xue, L. Journal Article Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Synthesis of the Science Workshop: Day 1 Summary Consensus Building Institute Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
Habitat Change Evidence Base OES-Environmental Summary Marine Energy Habitat Change
Fish assemblages of three common artificial reef designs during early colonization Hylkema, A., Debrot, A., Osinga, R. Journal Article Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates
Colonisation of wave power foundations by mobile mega- and macrofauna – a 12 year study Bender, A., Langhamer, O., Sundberg, J. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Investigating biophysical linkages at tidal energy candidate sites: a case study for combining environmental assessment and resource characterisation Scherelis, C., Penesis, I., Hemer, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Fish, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Renewable energy homes for marine life: Habitat potential of a tidal energy project for benthic megafauna Taormina, B., Laurans, M., Marzloff, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Physical Environment, Fish, Invertebrates
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, Tidal, Wave Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Waterfowl, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Reptiles, Human Dimensions, 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, Tidal, Wave Habitat Change
Benthic and Epifaunal Monitoring During Wind Turbine Installation and Operation at the Block Island Wind Farm, Rhode Island - Project Report Hutchison, Z., Bartley, M., English, P. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Adaptive responses to landscape changes from onshore wind energy development in the Republic of Ireland Hallan, C., González, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement
Existing Conditions and Potential Environmental Effects HT Harvey and Associates Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
Stakeholder Workshop: Scientific Research Framework to Understand the Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development on Birds and Bats in the Eastern United States New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Effectiveness of common benthic macrofaunal sampling methodology in boulder and cobble reefs Liversage, K., Pajusalu, J. Journal Article Habitat Change
Summer day-roost selection by eastern red bats varies between areas with different land-use histories Monarchino, M., Behan, M., Johnson, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Bats
Succession in epibenthic communities on artificial reefs associated with marine renewable energy facilities within a tide-swept environment Taormina, B., Percheron, A., Marzloff, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates
Effect of wind farms on wintering ducks at an important wintering ground in China along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Zhao, S., Xu, H., Song, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Waterfowl
Multi-modal Approach for Benthic Impact Assessments in Moraine Habitats: a Case Study at the Block Island Wind Farm Guarinello, M., Carey, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Organic matter assimilation by hard substrate fauna in an offshore wind farm area: a pulse-chase study Mavraki, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Dataset for concurrent echosounder and ADCP measurements at a tidal energy candidate site in Australia Scherelis, C., Penesis, I., Hemer, M. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change Fish
Comparison of Environmental Effects from Different Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations Horwath, S., Hassrick, J., Grismala, R. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Reptiles
Modelling the impact of tidal range energy on species communities Baker, A., Craighead, R., Jarvis, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates
Resource selection of apex raptors: implications for siting energy development in sagebrush and prairie ecosystems Squires, J., Olson, L., Wallace, Z. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Habitat Change Birds, Raptors
Identifying areas of wetland and wind turbine overlap in the south-central Great Plains of North America Heintzman, L., Auerbach, E., Kilborn, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Greater Sage‐Grouse Response to the Physical Footprint of Energy Development Kirol, C., Smith, K., Graf, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
The effect of an invasive foundation species on diversity is due to increased habitat availability Scott, Z., ter Horst, C. Journal Article Habitat Change
Wind Turbine Interactions with Wildlife and Their Habitats: A Summary of Research Results and Priority Questions (2020 Update) American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI) Report Wind Energy Collision, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Black Harriers and Wind Energy: Guidelines for impact assessment, monitoring and mitigation Simmons, R., Ralston-Paton, S., Colyn, R. Guidance Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds
A Benthic Habitat Monitoring Approach for Marine and Hydrokinetic Sites Revelas, G., Sackmann, B., Jones, C. Report Marine Energy Habitat Change Physical Environment
Quantifying the differences in avian attack rates on reptiles between an infrastructure and a control site Law, C., Lancaster, L., Hall, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Reptiles
Short Science Summary 2020: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats OES-Environmental Summary Marine Energy Habitat Change
Capturing threshold responses of marine benthos along gradients of natural and anthropogenic change Couce, E., Engelhard, G., Schratzberger, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
Survival strategies and molecular responses of two marine mussels to gradual burial by sediment Hutchison, Z., Green, D., Burrows, M. Journal Article Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Invertebrates
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, Land-Based Wind Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Passerines
Hywind Scotland Artificial Substrate Colonisation Survey MMT Sweden Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
South Fork Wind Farm Atlantic Cod Spawning Survey Gervelis, B., Carey, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Fish
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, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions
Displaying 441 - 480 of 1361 results