Our new report highlights the next steps to better understand and protect seabird populations whilst preventing delays in offshore wind approvals.
The report ('Advancing knowledge of non-breeding seabirds, in the context of offshore wind impact assessments' (JNCC Report 823)), produced by the Offshore Wind Strategic Monitoring and Research Forum (OWSMRF), identifies where gaps in scientific knowledge are creating uncertainty in wildlife impact assessments. This uncertainty currently contributes to delays in approving offshore wind projects.
Non-breeding seabirds – including young birds not yet old enough to reproduce and adults taking breaks from nesting – spend more time at sea than birds looking after a nest. Their distribution is likely to overlap with future offshore wind development areas. These birds have been overlooked in research and are difficult to account for in environmental assessments.
The report presents six feasible and robust research ideas, developed by offshore wind stakeholders and seabird experts, to close these knowledge gaps. Several can be completed using existing data, while others require new data collection. Research opportunities include modelling studies, expert consultation, and the deployment of remote monitoring technology, such as tracking devices or time-lapse imagery, to improve understanding of the ecology and behaviour of non-breeding seabirds.
Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy will cut carbon emissions and help tackle climate change. Home-grown clean power will also protect households from volatile international gas prices, create jobs across the UK, and help meet legally binding net zero targets by 2050.
Faster, more accurate impact assessments will help accelerate the offshore wind rollout needed to achieve these goals.
OWSMRF is an industry-led partnership that develops research to fill critical knowledge gaps about offshore wind's impact on the marine environment.
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