Offshore wind farms and seabirds II

Research Question / Project Objectives

At least 70 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy are to be installed in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2045. The areas designated for this correspond to just under a fifth of the German EEZ in the North Sea. As the areas planned to date will not be sufficient for the installation of 70 GW, the aim is to designate further areas for the construction of offshore wind farms (OWP). This results in a large spatial overlap with areas that serve seabirds as feeding or resting areas, among other things.

OWPs can have various impacts on seabirds. These include habitat loss, barrier or attraction effects and an increased risk of collision mortality. Some important findings on the effects of OWPs on seabirds have already been gathered in recent years through several research projects.

The aim of the current project is to analyse the cumulative effects of the numerous wind farms currently in operation in the North Sea and Baltic Sea on seabirds. In addition, the possible effects of further large-scale planned wind farms on seabirds are to be assessed. In addition, it will be analysed whether seabirds can possibly become accustomed to the presence of offshore wind farms in their natural habitat over longer periods of time. The knowledge gained will be used to design effective avoidance and mitigation measures for the protection of seabirds and thus counteract the negative effects of OWPs.

Approach / Method

The cumulative effects of wind farms in operation in the North Sea and Baltic Sea on seabirds will first be analysed with the help of statistical modelling, which has already been developed in the previous project (OWP seabirds) and applied to common guillemots. The analysis is based on the available data sets from the years 2000-2024 on the occurrence of seabirds in German waters (from research projects, marine biodiversity monitoring and environmental monitoring carried out at offshore wind farms). The aim is then to predict how different OWP expansion scenarios in the North Sea and Baltic Sea would affect the distribution and abundance of different seabird species. In order to understand whether the reactions of seabirds to OWPs change over time, methods will be developed to analyse potential habituation effects. Based on the findings, a concept for possible avoidance and mitigation measures for OWP impacts on seabirds will be developed and existing measures will be evaluated based on available data. In view of the OWP plans in neighbouring countries, a concept for an international analysis will also be drawn up and a corresponding feasibility study carried out.