Dr Elizabeth A Masden, a researcher at UHI North, West and Hebrides, has co-authored a major international study revealing how offshore wind farms can affect seabirds during the non-breeding season, an area that has, until now, been largely overlooked.
The study was part of the MARCIS project, an international initiative developing tools for assessing the impact of marine industries on seabirds and was funded by The Research Council of Norway.
Key findings from the study that analysed two Norwegian seabird populations - Common guillemot and Black-legged kittiwake.
Around 49.6% of Common guillemot involved in the study were predicted to be displaced from feeding habitats, with potential mortality rates of up to 5.32%
Despite high levels of exposure to modelled wind farms, collision risk of Black-legged kittiwakes as found to be very low (0.055%), largely due to differences in flight height relative to turbine blades.
The study represents a significant step forward in improving how environmental impacts are assessed and managed in offshore wind development, said experts.
Dr Masden said: “As the marine environment becomes increasingly developed it is important that we don’t lose sight of the potential consequences on biodiversity; rather we develop tools that allow us to assess cumulative impacts and strive for solutions for both the climate and biodiversity crises. This project was exciting because it allowed us to do just that and consider the impacts of wind farms but also other human activities as well as climate.”
UHI North, West and Hebrides offers undergraduate and postgraduate study in environmental science and sustainable development, with research opportunities rooted in the natural landscapes and marine environments of the Highlands and Islands.