A framework for studying the effects of offshore wind energy development on birds and bats in the Eastern United States

TY - JOUR

T1 - A framework for studying the effects of offshore wind energy development on birds and bats in the Eastern United States

AU - Williams, Kathryn A.

AU - Gulka, Julia

AU - Cook, Aonghais S.C.P.

AU - Diehl, Robert H.

AU - Farnsworth, Andrew

AU - Goyert, Holly

AU - Hein, Cris

AU - Loring, Pamela

AU - Mizrahi, David

AU - Petersen, Ib Krag

AU - Peterson, Trevor

AU - Press, Kate Mc Clellan

AU - Stenhouse, Iain J.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2024 Williams, Gulka, Cook, Diehl, Farnsworth, Goyert, Hein, Loring, Mizrahi, Petersen, Peterson, Press and Stenhouse.

PY - 2024/5

Y1 - 2024/5

N2 - Offshore wind energy development (OWED), while a key strategy for reducing carbon emissions, has potential negative effects to wildlife that should be examined to inform decision making and adaptive management as the industry expands. We present a conceptual framework to guide the long-term study of potential effects to birds and bats from OWED. This framework includes a focus on exposure and vulnerability as key determinants of risk. For birds and bats that are exposed to OWED, there are three main effects of interest that may impact survival and productivity: 1) collision mortality, 2) behavioral responses, including avoidance, displacement, and attraction, and 3) habitat-mediated effects to prey populations. If these OWED effects cause changes in survival and/or breeding success (e.g., fitness), they have the potential for population-level consequences, including changes in population size and structure. Understanding the influence of ecological drivers on exposure and effect parameters can help to disentangle the potential impacts of OWED from other stressors. We use this theoretical framework to summarize existing relevant knowledge and identify current priority research questions (n=22) for the eastern United States, where large-scale development of OWED is primarily in the planning and early construction phase. We also identify recommendations for study design and further prioritization of research topics.

AB - Offshore wind energy development (OWED), while a key strategy for reducing carbon emissions, has potential negative effects to wildlife that should be examined to inform decision making and adaptive management as the industry expands. We present a conceptual framework to guide the long-term study of potential effects to birds and bats from OWED. This framework includes a focus on exposure and vulnerability as key determinants of risk. For birds and bats that are exposed to OWED, there are three main effects of interest that may impact survival and productivity: 1) collision mortality, 2) behavioral responses, including avoidance, displacement, and attraction, and 3) habitat-mediated effects to prey populations. If these OWED effects cause changes in survival and/or breeding success (e.g., fitness), they have the potential for population-level consequences, including changes in population size and structure. Understanding the influence of ecological drivers on exposure and effect parameters can help to disentangle the potential impacts of OWED from other stressors. We use this theoretical framework to summarize existing relevant knowledge and identify current priority research questions (n=22) for the eastern United States, where large-scale development of OWED is primarily in the planning and early construction phase. We also identify recommendations for study design and further prioritization of research topics.

KW - bat

KW - bird

KW - collision

KW - displacement

KW - framework

KW - offshore wind energy

KW - research priorities

U2 - 10.3389/fmars.2024.1274052

DO - 10.3389/fmars.2024.1274052

M3 - Review

AN - SCOPUS:85193480860

SN - 2296-7745

VL - 11

JO - Frontiers in Marine Science

JF - Frontiers in Marine Science

M1 - 1274052

ER -