scholarly journals 2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 4: Risk to Marine Animals from Underwater Noise Generated by Marine Renewable Energy Devices

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Polagye ◽  
Christopher Bassett
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Underwater Noise ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Energy Devices ◽  
Marine Renewable Energy ◽  
State Of The Science

scholarly journals Potential Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development—The State of the Science

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 879
Author(s):  
Andrea E. Copping ◽  
Lenaïg G. Hemery ◽  
Dorian M. Overhus ◽  
Lysel Garavelli ◽  
Mikaela C. Freeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Electromagnetic Fields ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Underwater Noise ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Marine Renewable Energy

Marine renewable energy (MRE) harnesses energy from the ocean and provides a low-carbon sustainable energy source for national grids and remote uses. The international MRE industry is in the early stages of development, focused largely on tidal and riverine turbines, and wave energy converters (WECs), to harness energy from tides, rivers, and waves, respectively. Although MRE supports climate change mitigation, there are concerns that MRE devices and systems could affect portions of the marine and river environments. The greatest concern for tidal and river turbines is the potential for animals to be injured or killed by collision with rotating blades. Other risks associated with MRE device operation include the potential for turbines and WECs to cause disruption from underwater noise emissions, generation of electromagnetic fields, changes in benthic and pelagic habitats, changes in oceanographic processes, and entanglement of large marine animals. The accumulated knowledge of interactions of MRE devices with animals and habitats to date is summarized here, along with a discussion of preferred management methods for encouraging MRE development in an environmentally responsible manner. As there are few devices in the water, understanding is gained largely from examining one to three MRE devices. This information indicates that there will be no significant effects on marine animals and habitats due to underwater noise from MRE devices or emissions of electromagnetic fields from cables, nor changes in benthic and pelagic habitats, or oceanographic systems. Ongoing research to understand potential collision risk of animals with turbine blades still shows significant uncertainty. There has been no significant field research undertaken on entanglement of large animals with mooring lines and cables associated with MRE devices.

Strategic priorities for assessing ecological impacts of marine renewable energy devices in the Pentland Firth (Scotland, UK)

Marine Policy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 635-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Shields ◽  
Lora Jane Dillon ◽  
David K. Woolf ◽  
Alex T. Ford
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Energy Devices ◽  
Marine Renewable Energy

scholarly journals Risk Retirement—Decreasing Uncertainty and Informing Consenting Processes for Marine Renewable Energy Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea E. Copping ◽  
Mikaela C. Freeman ◽  
Alicia M. Gorton ◽  
Lenaïg G. Hemery
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Marine Renewable Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Development ◽  
Electricity Grids ◽  
Project Site ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Marine renewable energy (MRE) is under development in many coastal nations, adding to the portfolio of low carbon energy sources that power national electricity grids as well as off-grid uses in isolated areas and at sea. Progress in establishing the MRE industry, largely wave and tidal energy, has been slowed in part due to uncertainty about environmental risks of these devices, including harm to marine animals and habitats, and the associated concerns of regulators and stakeholders. A process for risk retirement was developed to organize and apply knowledge in a strategic manner that considered whether specific environmental effects are likely to cause harm. The risk retirement process was tested against two key MRE stressors: effects of underwater noise from operational MRE devices on marine animals, and effects of electromagnetic fields from MRE electrical export cables on marine animals. The effects of installation of MRE devices were not accounted for in this analysis. Applying the risk retirement process could decrease the need for costly investigations of each potential effect at every new MRE project site and help move the industry beyond current barriers.

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