Short Science Summary: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats

Marine Habitat

Potential Environmental Effects on Habitats from Marine Renewable Energy: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats

Most marine renewable energy (MRE) devices must be attached to the seafloor in some way, either by gravity foundations, pilings, or anchors, and many will also have transmission cables on the seabed, and mooring lines, as well as the devices themselves in the water column. Physical changes in benthic and pelagic habitats have the potential to alter where species live and how common they are at a site, and they may lead to habitat loss, provide opportunities for non-native species to become established, alter ecological patterns, modify ecosystem functions and the services the ecosystem provides, and affect the behavior of many marine organisms.

This Short Science Summary was developed based on the OES-Environmental 2020 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World, specifically Chapter 6: Changes in Benthic and Pelagic Habitats Caused by Marine Renewable Energy Devices.

The table below contains the literature relevant to this summary document and will continue to be updated as new literature is added to Tethys.

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
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., Uye, S. Journal Article Marine Energy Habitat Change
Marine Mammals Trace Anthropogenic Structures at Sea Russell, D., Brasseur, S., Thompson, D., Hastie, G., Janik, V., Aarts, G., McClintock, B., Matthiopoulos, J., Moss, S., McConnell, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Habitat Change Pinnipeds, Marine Mammals, Ecosystem Processes
D4.17 Report on environmental monitoring protocols Magagna, D., Lauri, C., Butler, M., Bristow, C. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
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., Politano, K. 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., Rodriguez, J., Muxika, I., Enciso, Y., Marina, D. Presentation Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Annex IV - Investigating Environmental Effects of Wave and Tidal Devices Through International Cooperation Copping, A., Hanna, L., Battey, H., Brown-Saracino, J. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise
Environmental aspects of designing multi-purpose offshore platforms in the scope of the FP7 TROPOS Project Lu, S., Yu, J., Golmen, L., Wesnigk, J., Papandroulakis, N., Anastasiadis, P., Delory, E., Quevedo, E., Hernández, J., Llinás, O. Conference Paper Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Human Dimensions
PMEC-NETS Annual Operations and Monitoring Report 2013 Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) Report Marine Energy, Wave EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries
How Deep does an Anchor Penetrate the Seafloor? Maushake, C. Workshop Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Physical Environment
Examining potential effects of marine renewable energy developments on top predators Philpott, E. Thesis Marine Energy, Tidal Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Cetaceans, Physical Environment
Monitor the Impact of Marine Renewable Energy Devices on Local Environment Liu, J., Xu, F., An, X., Zhang, Q., Juan, Y. Journal Article Marine Energy Habitat Change Fish, Physical Environment
Marine Renewable Energy Development: Assessing the Benthic Footprint at Multiple Scales Miller, R., Hutchison, Z., Macleod, A., Burrows, M., Cook, E., Last, K., Wilson, B. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Managing for Interactions between Local and Global Stressors of Ecosystems Brown, C., Saunders, M., Possingham, H., Richardson, A. Journal Article Marine Energy Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Physical Environment, Water Quality
Sound of Islay Demonstration Tidal Array, Cable Route Environmental Information ScottishPower Renewables Report Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change
ICES WGMBRED Report 2013: Report of the Working Group on Marine Benthal and Renewable Energy Developments (WGMBRED) International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Report Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Invertebrates
Individual Consistency in the Foraging Behaviour of Northern Gannets: Implications for Interactions with Offshore Renewable Energy Developments Soanes, L., Atkinson, P., Gauvain, R., Green, J. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
The role of Marine Renewable Energy structures and biofouling communities in promoting self-sustaining populations of Non-Native Species Macleod, A. Thesis Marine Energy, Wind Energy Attraction, Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Invertebrates
Marine Scotland Letter: EMEC Benthic Habitat Marine Scotland Guidance Marine Energy Habitat Change
Experimental Study of Scour around Support Structures of Model Marine Hydrokinetic Devices Volpe, M. Thesis Marine Energy Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment
The Ecology of Marine Tidal Race Environments and the Impact of Tidal Energy Development Broadhurst, M. Thesis Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish
Artificial Reef Effect in Relation to Offshore Renewable Energy Conversion: State of the Art Langhamer, O. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Physical Environment
Environmental Effects of Hydrokinetic Turbines on Fish: Desktop and Laboratory Flume Studies Jacobson, P., Amaral, S., Castro-Santos, T., Giza, D., Haro, A., Hecker, G., McMahon, B., Perkins, N., Pioppi, N. Report Marine Energy Habitat Change, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction Fish
Geophysical Surveys of the Wave Energy Test Site at MCBH, Kāneohe: Diver Surveys Site 2 Sea Engineering Inc Report Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Invertebrates, Physical Environment
Disruption to Benthic Habitats by Moorings of Wave Energy Installations: A Modelling Case Study and Implications for Overall Ecosystem Functioning Krivtsov, V., Linfoot, B. Journal Article Wave, Marine Energy Habitat Change Physical Environment, Ecosystem Processes
Modeling the Physical and Biochemical Influence of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant Grandelli, P., Rocheleau, G., Hamrick, J., Church, M., Powell, B. Report OTEC, Marine Energy Habitat Change Water Quality, Physical Environment, Ecosystem Processes
Assessing the Sensitivity of Seabird Populations to Adverse Effects from Tidal Stream Turbines and Wave Energy Devices Furness, R., Wade, H., Robbins, A., Masden, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Attraction, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Birds, Seabirds
Building Capacity for Marine Hydrokinetic Energy: Atlas of Potential Synergistic and Conflicting Environmental, Ecological, and Human Use Considerations Dubbs, L., Voss, C., Von Korff, B., Morton, J., Peterson, C., Fegley, S., Piehler, M. Report Marine Energy, Ocean Current, Tidal, Wave Chemicals, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Human Dimensions
Marine Bird Distribution Along the Oregon Coast Suryan, R., Phillips, E., So, K., Zamon, J., Lowe, R., Stephensen, S. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Marine Energy Habitat Change Seabirds, Birds
A Bayesian approach to habitat suitability prediction Lockett, D. Thesis Wave, Marine Energy Habitat Change Invertebrates
Siting Study for a Hydrokinetic Energy Project Located Offshore Southeastern Florida: Protocols for Survey Methodology for Offshore Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Projects Dehlsen Associates Report Marine Energy Habitat Change Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Kāneohe Wave Energy Test Site: Remotely Operated Vehicle Survey Sea Engineering Inc Report Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Physical Environment
Subtidal Benthic Video and Benthic Infauna Survey and Intertidal Cable Crossing Survey MER Assessment Corporation Report Tidal, Marine Energy Habitat Change Physical Environment, Invertebrates
Interactive Marine Spatial Planning: Siting Tidal Energy Arrays around the Mull of Kintyre Alexander, K., Janssen, R., Arciniegas, G., O’Higgins, T., Eikelboom, T., Wilding, T. Journal Article Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Birds and Wave & Tidal Stream Energy: An Ecological Review McCluskie, A., Langston, R., Wilkinson, N. Report Marine Energy, Tidal, Wave Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Raptors, Seabirds, Shorebirds
A Marine Spatial Planning Approach to Select Suitable Areas for Installing Wave Energy Converters on the Basque Continental Shelf (Bay of Biscay) Galparsoro, I., Liria, P., Legorburu, I., Bald, J., Chust, G., Ruiz-Minguela, P., Pérez, G., Marqués, J., Torre-Enciso, Y., Gonzalez, M., Borja, A. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Habitat Change Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
The Environmental Interactions of Tidal and Wave Energy Generation Devices Frid, C., Andonegi, E., Depestele, J., Judd, A., Rihan, D., Rogers, S., Kenchington, E. Journal Article Wave, Tidal, Marine Energy Habitat Change Physical Environment
The Interaction of Pelagic, Migratory and Protected Fishes with Marine Renewable Energy Projects: Recent Studies and Knowledge Gaps Nelson, P. Presentation Marine Energy, Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Avoidance, EMF, Habitat Change Fish, Pelagic Fish
Electricity Generation by the Ocean Thermal Energy Etemadi, A., Emdadi, A., AsefAfshar, O., Emami, Y. Journal Article OTEC, Marine Energy Habitat Change Physical Environment
South Korea's Plans for Tidal Power: When a "Green" Solution Creates More Problems Ko, Y., Schubert, D. Report Marine Energy, Tidal Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Social & Economic Data
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