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Unforeseen Responses of a Breeding Seabird to the Construction of an Offshore Wind Farm

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Wind Energy and Wildlife Interactions

Abstract

Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm (OWF), comprised of 88 3.6 MW turbines, was built within foraging range of Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis breeding at a European designated site. Boat-based surveys (n = 43) were used to investigate changes in tern abundance within the site and within 0–2 and 2–4 km buffer areas before and throughout the construction of the OWF, over a study period between 2009 and 2012. Visual tracking of individual birds (n = 840) was also undertaken to document any changes in behaviour. This study is amongst the few to detail the response of a breeding seabird to the construction of an OWF. Navigational buoys in the 0–2 km buffer were used extensively by resting and socialising birds, especially early in the breeding season. Visual tracking illustrated avoidance of areas of construction activity and birds surprisingly kept their distance from installed monopiles. Avoidance was strengthened during turbine assembly, with around 30% fewer birds entering the wind farm, relative to the pre-construction baseline. Flight lines of birds that entered the site were generally along the centre of rows between turbines. A focus on transit flight meant that feeding activity was lower in the site than the buffer areas. As the site remained permeable to terns flying to and from foraging grounds further offshore, the overall abundance within the site was not significantly reduced. Although a number of the responses observed were unforeseen by Environmental Impact Assessment, the overall conclusion of only minor adverse effects was upheld. Analysis of further data from the operational site is now planned.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to SCIRA Offshore Energy Ltd, a joint venture company owned by Statoil and Statkraft, who have funded and supported the work alongside the development of their wind farm. We are also grateful for the logistical support of all staff at Statkraft who currently operates the site on behalf of SCIRA. We would like to thank all who have taken part in the tracking studies, including Seafari Marine Services led by Iain Hill, Hovercraft Services and Safety Boat Services. Finally, we thank Johann Köppel and his team at Technische Universität Berlin for inviting us to contribute to this volume and appreciate the helpful comments and suggestions provided by the reviewers.

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  1. ECON Ecological Consultancy Limited, Unit 7, The Octagon Business Park, Little Plumstead, Norwich, NR13 5FH, UK

    Andrew J. P. Harwood, Martin R. Perrow, Richard J. Berridge, Mark L. Tomlinson & Eleanor R. Skeate

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  1. Andrew J. P. Harwood
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  2. Martin R. Perrow
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Correspondence to Andrew J. P. Harwood .

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  1. School VI – Planning Building Environment, Environmental Assessment and Planning Research Group, Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin, Germany

    Johann Köppel

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Harwood, A.J.P., Perrow, M.R., Berridge, R.J., Tomlinson, M.L., Skeate, E.R. (2017). Unforeseen Responses of a Breeding Seabird to the Construction of an Offshore Wind Farm. In: Köppel, J. (eds) Wind Energy and Wildlife Interactions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51272-3_2

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