Request for advice about the displacement of marine mammals around operational offshore windfarms

an authoritative review of what is known about the behaviour of marine mammals (seals and cetaceans) around operational offshore wind farms and, particularly, any degree of displacement that persists, after completion of the construction phase. To provide an initial assessment of the significance of any displacement risk, and proposals for practical research activity, if necessary.


References

Brasseur S, Aarts G, Meesters E, van Polanen-Petel T, Dijkman E, Cremer J and Reijnders P 2010 Habitat preferences of harbour seals in the Dutch coastal area: analyses and estimate of effects of offshore wind farms Report number: OWEZ R 252 T1 20100929 p 55

Ingemansson Technology AB (2003) Utgrunden offshore wind farm-measurements of underwater noise. Report 11-00329- 03012700. Ingemansson Technology A/S, Gothenburg

Kastak, D., Southall,B., Schusterman,R.J. & Reichmuth Kastak,C. 2005 Underwater temporary threshold shift in pinnipeds:Effects of noise level and duration. J. Acoust. Soc. Am.118:3154-3163

Kastelein RA, Verboom WC, Jennings N, de Haan D. 2008. Behavioral avoidance threshold level of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) for a continuous 50 kHz pure tone. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 123(4):1858-61.

Koschinski S, Culik BM, Henriksen OD, Tregenza N, Ellis G,Jansen C, Kathe C (2003) Behavioural reactions of free-ranging porpoises and seals to the noise of a simulated 2 MW windpower generator. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 265:263-273

Lindeboom, HJ; Kouwenhoven, HJ; Bergman, MJN; Bouma, S; Brasseur, S; Daan, R; Fijn, RC; de Haan, D; Dirksen, S; van Hal, R; Lambers, RHR; Ter Hofstede, R; Krijgsveld, KL; Leopold, M; Scheidat, M (2011) Short-term ecological effects of an offshore wind farm in the Dutch coastal zone; a compilation. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS 6(3) DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/6/3/035101

Lucke, K., Lepper, P.A.; Hoeve, B.; Everaarts, E; van Elk, N. & Siebert, U. 2007. Perception of low-frequency acoustic signals by a harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the presence of simulated offshore wind turbine noise. Aquatic Mammals 33(1)55-68 DOI: 10.1578/AM.33.1.2007.55

Madsen, P.T., Wahlberg, M., Tougaard, J., Lucke, K., and Tyack, P. 2006. Wind turbine underwater noise and marine mammals: implications of current knowledge and data needs.

Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser.,309: 279-295.

McConnell, B., Lonergan, M., Dietz, R. 2012. Interactions between seals and offshore wind farms. The Crown Estate, 41 pages. ISBN: 978-1-906410-34-6.

Skeate, E. R; Perrow, M.R; Gilroy, J.J 2012. Likely effects of construction of Scroby Sands offshore wind farm on a mixed population of harbour Phoca vitulina and grey Halichoerus grypus seals. Marine pollution bulletin 64(4): 872-81

Tougaard, J., Tougaard,S., Jensen, R.C., Jensen, T., Teilmann, J., Adelung, D., Liebsch, N. & Muller, G. 2006. Harbour seals on Horns Reef before, during and after construction of Horns Rev Offshore Wind Farm. Final report to Vattenfall A/S. Biological Papers from the Fisheries and Maritime Museum No. 5, Esbjerg, Denmark, 2006. Available at www.hornsrev.dk.

Tougaard, J., Madsen,P. and Wahlberg,M. (2008): Underwater noise from construction and operation of offshore wind farms Bioacoustics 17:1-3 143-146

Tougaard J, Henriksen O D and Miller L A. 2009.a. Underwater noise from three types of offshore wind turbines: estimation of impact zones for harbor porpoises and harbor seals J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 125 3766-73

Tougaard J, Carstensen J, Teilmann J, Skov H, Rasmussen P. 2009.b. Pile driving zone of responsiveness extends beyond 20 km for harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena (L.)). J. Acoust Soc Am. 126(1):11-4.

Wahlberg M, Westerberg H (2005) Hearing in fish and their reaction to sounds from offshore wind farms. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 288:295-309

Contact

Email: Phil Alcock

Back to top