Exploring the Displacement of Seabirds From Offshore Wind Farms

The development of offshore wind farms is a rapidly growing renewable energy industry worldwide. Europe has already seen a substantial surge in its offshore wind energy production, reaching 11 GW in 2015. Many planned and... [ view full abstract ]

The development of offshore wind farms is a rapidly growing renewable energy industry worldwide. Europe has already seen a substantial surge in its offshore wind energy production, reaching 11 GW in 2015.

Many planned and existing wind farm installations coincide with important foraging areas for breeding, wintering and migrating marine birds. This interaction poses a number of potential threats to marine birds including direct mortality through collision, and indirect threats such as displacement.
Displacement effects have the potential to impact populations in several ways including exclusion from important foraging areas. This could have knock-on effects to the wider population. Displacement may therefore be seen as functional habitat loss and some species, such as the Red-throated Diver, are particularly vulnerable to this. This species, along with around 500 others, are afforded protection under the Birds Directive, which aims to protect and conserve wild bird species across Europe. One of the conservation mechanisms is the classification of Special Protection Areas. Despite this protection, the scale of potential effects of displacement on marine bird populations is still largely unknown. Fortunately, an increasing number of monitoring studies are beginning to improve our understanding of displacement effects.

There is, however, still a significant amount of uncertainty surrounding the potential population consequences that displaced birds face. Empirical evidence of species specific reactions to wind farms, displacement rates, and the fate of birds displaced from offshore wind farms is still limited.

Gaining an understanding of displacement and potential consequences to the population is vital in order to make sensible assessments of the cumulative effects of multiple wind farms. This is particularly pressing given that global marine bird populations have declined dramatically over the past half a century. This may be of particular interest to wind farm developers as the legal requirement to protect birds under the Birds Directive can delay or even prevent wind farm construction.

This individual presentation will discuss the underpinning causes of, the potential impacts resulting from, and the uncertainty surrounding the assessment of, displacement of marine birds from offshore wind farms in Europe. It will also look to explore the cumulative impacts of multiple developments and the implications this may have for wind farm developments.