UHI North, West and Hebrides researcher contributes to ground-breaking study on offshore wind and seabirds

UHI North, West and Hebrides researcher has contributed to a landmark international study challenging how we assess the environmental impact of offshore wind farms on seabirds.

Dr Elizabeth A Masden, a researcher at UHI North, West and Hebrides, has co-authored a major international study revealing how offshore wind farms can affect seabirds during the non-breeding season, an area that has, until now, been largely overlooked. The study was part of the MARCIS project, an international initiative developing tools for assessing the impact of marine industries on seabirds and was funded by The Research Council of Norway.

The research, led by Dr Lila Buckingham of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), and published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution, uses advanced individual-based modelling to examine both lethal and non-lethal impacts of offshore wind developments on seabirds overwintering at sea.

The involvement of a UHI North, West and Hebrides’ academic highlights the university’s ongoing contribution to globally significant environmental research, particularly in marine and coastal ecosystems.

Dr Masden said:

“As the marine environment becomes increasingly developed it is important that we don’t lose sight of the potential consequences on biodiversity; rather we develop tools that allow us to assess cumulative impacts and strive for solutions for both the climate and biodiversity crises. This project was exciting because it allowed us to do just that and consider the impacts of wind farms but also other human activities as well as climate.”

As offshore wind energy expands rapidly as part of the transition to renewable energy, understanding its environmental impact is increasingly important. Seabirds are among the most threatened bird groups globally and are vulnerable to both collisions with turbines and displacement from key feeding areas.

While previous studies have focused on the breeding season, this new research provides crucial insight into the non-breeding period, when many seabirds spend extended time at sea.

The research team developed a cutting-edge model based on long-term tracking data from the SEATRACK project, a large-scale collaborative effort monitoring seabird movements across the North Atlantic, which allowed them to simulate seabird movements, behaviour, energy use, and interactions with offshore wind farms.

The model assessed potential impacts including collisions, habitat displacement, and the cumulative effects these pressures can have on survival and condition.

Key findings:

• The study analysed two Norwegian seabird populations:
• Common guillemot: Around 49.6% of individuals were predicted to be displaced from feeding habitats, with potential mortality rates of up to 5.32% depending on energy costs.
• Black-legged kittiwake: Despite high levels of exposure to modelled wind farms, collision risk was found to be very low (0.055%), largely due to differences in flight height relative to turbine blades.

The findings underline the importance of considering non-lethal effects such as increased energy expenditure and habitat loss, which can have long-term consequences for seabird populations.

The model provides a valuable tool for informing future offshore wind planning, helping decision-makers balance the need for renewable energy with the protection of marine biodiversity.

Researchers emphasise that further work is needed to better understand the energetic costs of displacement, which is one of the key uncertainties in assessing overall impact.

Nevertheless, the study represents a significant step forward in improving how environmental impacts are assessed and managed in offshore wind development.

UHI North, West and Hebrides offers undergraduate and postgraduate study in environmental science and sustainable development, with research opportunities rooted in the natural landscapes and marine environments of the Highlands and Islands.