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: 1363
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Deep Green Project Holyhead Deep: Benthic Technical Report Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies Ltd (CMACS) Report Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Risk Evaluation System - An Approach to Ranking Risk of Ocean Energy Development on Coastal and Estuarine Environments Copping, A., Hanna, L., Van Cleve, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Wave, Tidal, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Habitat Change, Displacement, Collision, Chemicals, Changes in Flow, Avoidance, Attraction Marine Mammals, Fish, Birds
Common Raven Occurrence in Relation to Energy Transmission Line Corridors Transiting Human-Altered Sagebrush Steppe Coates, P., Howe, K., Casazza, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Study of the Wildlife of Jhimpir Wind Corridor, District Thatta, Sindh and Development of Bird Monitoring Strategy in the Area Ghalib, S., Khan, M., Ahmed, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Hornsea Offshore Wind Farm Final Environmental Assessment Horton, G. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Analysis of the Overlap between Priority Greater Sage-Grouse Habitats and Existing and Potential Energy Development Across the West: Final Report LeBeau, C., Fruhwirth, J., Boehrs, J. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds
Evidence of Negative Effects of Anthropogenic Structures on Wildlife: A Review of Grouse Survival and Behaviour Hovick, T., Elmore, R., Dahlgren, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Marine artificial structures as amplifiers of Aurelia aurita s.l. blooms: a case study of a newly installed floating pier Makabe, R., Furukawa, R., Takao, M. Journal Article Marine Energy Habitat Change
Effect of Wind Turbine Proximity on Nesting Success in Shrub-nesting Birds Bennett, V., Hale, A., Karsten, K. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds
Oil Platforms off California are Among the Most Productive Marine Fish Habitats Globally Claisse, J., Pondella, D., Love, M. Journal Article Habitat Change Pelagic Fish, Fish, Ecosystem Processes, Demersal Fish
Integrated Geomodel – Horns Rev 3 Case Study Medhus, A., Marstal, S., Laier, M. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Sediment Transport
Modelling Foraging Movements of Diving Predators: A Theoretical Study Exploring the Effect of Heterogeneous Landscapes on Foraging Efficiency Chimienti, M., Bartoń, K., Scott, B. Journal Article Habitat Change Birds
Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Construction of the Block Island Wind Farm National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
An Integrated Visual Impact Assessment Model for Offshore Windfarm Development Depellegrin, D., Blažauskas, N., Egarter-Vigl, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Visual Impacts
Getting it Right for the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis): A Last Opportunity for Effective Marine Spatial Planning? Petruny, L., Wright, A., Smith, C. Journal Article Collision, Habitat Change Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Predicting the Large-Scale Consequences of Offshore Wind Turbine Array Development on a North Sea Ecosystem van der Molen, J., Smith, H., Lepper, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment, Ecosystem Processes
Historical Challenges of Wind Energy/Wildlife Interactions: How This May Affect Distributed Wind Sinclair, K. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Birds, Bats
Interspecific effects of forest fragmentation on bats Segers, J., Broders, H. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change Bats
Computationally Efficient Modelling of Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction of Offshore Wind Turbines on Gravity Footings Damgaard, M., Andersen, L., Ibsen, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Marine Mammals Trace Anthropogenic Structures at Sea Russell, D., Brasseur, S., Thompson, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Habitat Change Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals, Ecosystem Processes
Impact Hypothesis for Offshore Wind Farms: Explanatory Models for Species Distribution at Extremely Exposed Rocky Areas Schläppy, M., Saskov, A., Dahlgren, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Repeated Mapping of Reefs Constructed by Sabellaria spinulosa Leuckart 1849 at an Offshore Wind Farm Site Pearce, B., Farinas-Franco, J., Wilson, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Home Range and Resource Selection by GPS-Monitored Adult Golden Eagles in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion: Implications for Wind Power Development Watson, J., Duff, A., Davies, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Raptors, Birds
A Historical Perspective of Wind-Wildlife Challenges: How this May Affect Distributed Wind Sinclair, K. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Birds, Bats
Demonstrating a New Framework for the Comparison of Environmental Impacts from Small- and Large-Scale Hydropower and Wind Power Projects Bakken, T., Aase, A., Hagen, D. Journal Article Wind Energy Habitat Change
Do man-made structures and water depth affect the diel rhythms in click recordings of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)? Brandt, M., Hansen, S., Diederichs, A. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Marine Mammals
A Sustainability Index of Potential Co-Location of Offshore Wind Farms and Open Water Aquaculture Benassai, G., Mariani, P., Stenberg, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions
Similar Diversity-Disturbance Responses to Different Physical Impacts: Three Cases of Small-Scale Biodiversity Increase in the Belgian Part of the North Sea De Backer, A., Van Hoey, G., Coates, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
Geological and Geotechnical Characterisation for Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations: A Case Study of the Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm Le, T., Eiksund, G., Strom, P. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change
Avian and Bat Survey Protocols For Large Wind Energy Conversion Systems in Minnesota Mixon, K., Schrenzel, J., Pile, D. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Birds/bats movement tracking with IR camera for wind farm applications Wei, L., Mirzaei, G., Majid, M. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Wind Farms Threaten Southern Africa's Cliff-Nesting Vultures Rushworth, I., Kruger, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Habitat Change, Collision Birds
Grande Prairie Wind Farm Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy Stantec Consulting Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
D4.17 Report on environmental monitoring protocols Magagna, D., Lauri, C., Butler, M. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Vulnerability of Coral Reef Fisheries to a Loss of Structural Complexity Rogers, A., Blanchard, J., Mumby, P. Journal Article Habitat Change Fish, Pelagic Fish
Final Site-Wide Environmental Assessment Department of Energy's National Wind Technology Center Golden, Colorado at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Habitat Change Birds, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Estimating Distribution of Sedimentary Benthic Habitats and Species on the Eastern Pacific Shelf and Detecting Effects of Device Deployment Henkel, S., Goldfinger, C., Romsos, C. Presentation Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Environmental Impacts over the Seabed and Benthic Communities of Underwater Cable Installation in the Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BIMEP) Bald, J., Hernández, C., Galparsoro, I. Presentation Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Riding the waves: use of the Pelamis device by seabirds Jackson, A. Conference Paper Wave Attraction, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Annex IV - Investigating Environmental Effects of Wave and Tidal Devices Through International Cooperation Copping, A., Hanna, L., Battey, H. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise
Displaying 801 - 840 of 1363 results