Seabird aggregative patterns: A new tool for offshore wind energy risk assessment |
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| Authors: | Isadora Christel Grégoire Certain Albert Cama David R Vieites Xavier Ferrer |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute for Research on Biodiversity (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain;2. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain;3. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Tungasletta 2, NO-7047 Trondheim, Norway;4. Institute of Marine Research (IMR), PO Box 6404, 9294 Tromsø, Norway;5. REFER Biodiversity Chair, University of Porto, CIBIO, Campus Agrário de Vairão, R. Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal |
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| Abstract: | The emerging development of offshore wind energy has raised public concern over its impact on seabird communities. There is a need for an adequate methodology to determine its potential impacts on seabirds. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are mostly relying on a succession of plain density maps without integrated interpretation of seabird spatio-temporal variability. Using Taylor’s power law coupled with mixed effect models, the spatio-temporal variability of species’ distributions can be synthesized in a measure of the aggregation levels of individuals over time and space. Applying the method to a seabird aerial survey in the Ebro Delta, NW Mediterranean Sea, we were able to make an explicit distinction between transitional and feeding areas to define and map the potential impacts of an offshore wind farm project. We use the Ebro Delta study case to discuss the advantages of potential impacts maps over density maps, as well as to illustrate how these potential impact maps can be applied to inform on concern levels, optimal EIA design and monitoring in the assessment of local offshore wind energy projects. |
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