What will floating windfarms do to marine life?

A new scientific review has highlighted the urgent need for more research into how floating offshore wind farms impact marine mammals.

As plans for large-scale deployment gather pace in British waters and beyond, scientists are asking for more research to understand what these turbines will do to whales, dolphins, seals and other marine life.

Published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, the review was conducted by researchers from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), the Scottish Association for Marine Science and the University of Aberdeen.

It brings together existing evidence on how floating offshore wind infrastructure might affect species such as dolphins, porpoises, whales and seals.

While the review notes some potential benefits, such as increased feeding opportunities due to artificial reef effects, it also highlights risks.

These include changes in underwater noise from mooring systems, which may alter behaviour even if they do not cause physical harm and possible entanglement in anchor lines or cables.

Significant knowledge gaps remain, including how floating structures might affect ocean mixing and primary production, or how regular maintenance operations impact marine life.

Caitlin Harris, PhD researcher said: “Floating offshore wind will be key to meeting renewable energy and net zero goals – but dedicated research is essential to ensure its sustainable development. We hope this review provides a clear overview of current evidence from existing floating offshore wind sites and helps guide future research.”

Floating offshore wind is expected to play a major role in delivering net zero and renewable energy targets, particularly in deeper waters unsuitable for fixed-bottom turbines.

However, with only a handful of operational sites globally, limited ecological data is available.

The review will serve as a foundation for a major research project – ECOFlow EQUIFy – which aims to inform government policy and industry practices, for future offshore wind projects.