Offshore Wind Research Shortlist

The Ministries of Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovation and Infrastructure & Environment (as they were at the time) decided to work together on the Ecological Monitoring of Offshore Wind Research Shortlist. The research was conducted over a period of one year (2010 - 2011). The knowledge questions relating to the effects of offshore wind farms were set out in the 'Offshore Wind Master Plan', which focused on addressing the most pressing ecological questions from this report relating to the construction and operation of wind farms. The research was conducted by a consortium led by Wageningen Marine Research and TNO (consisting of Bureau Waardenburg, NIOZ, Seamarco and TNO). It looked at the distribution of species (birds, fish and marine mammals) that may be affected by wind farms and on the effects on those species. Eight specific studies were conducted:

• Monitoring standards for underwater noise
• Description of the sources of underwater noise
• Study of the distribution of Lesser Black-backed Gulls
• Distribution of fish larvae on the DCS
• Effects of underwater noise on fish larvae
• Distribution of seabirds on the DCS
• Distribution of harbour porpoises on the DCS
• Effects of underwater noise on op marine mammals

The results have been described in the various documents.

Documents and publications

A methodological update of the Framework for the Appropriate Assessment of the ecological effects of Offshore Wind Farms on the Dutch Continental Shelf def 2

Monitoring and researching the ecological effects of Dutch offshore wind farms – Master Plan

Offshore Wind Monitoring and Research Shortlist - Knowledge advances and follow-up

Prevention of the ecological effects of offshore wind farms in licensing and spatial planning - an overview

Ecological Monitoring of the Effects of Offshore Wind Shortlist Research - Summaries