STORY / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
How do offshore wind turbines affect whales and fishing?
- Published 22 August 2024; updated 30 September 2026; estimated reading time 3 minutes. The article reviews possible marine impacts of offshore wind and describes research by Norway’s Institute of Marine Research (IMR). It contrasts European and US political debates and reports that NOAA research had found no scientific evidence linking offshore-wind noise to whale deaths or known whale deaths to current wind-farm activity; this is the page’s summary of NOAA, not an independent review.
- Construction, operation and decommissioning can cause disturbance. The article says US projects have sought authorisations for “Level B” behavioural disturbance, which may affect migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding or sheltering without causing injury or death. Increased construction/maintenance ship traffic could raise collision risk. Whales’ echolocation helps them detect obstacles, but wind farms may displace routes or habitat.
- Electricity-export cables create seabed electromagnetic fields that could affect marine organisms. The page says research so far indicates minimal effects but further study is needed.
- Foundations and moorings may function as artificial reefs, providing surfaces and habitat that attract algae, shellfish, fish and other organisms, potentially increasing biodiversity in sandy offshore areas. They may also provide pathways for invasive species. Higher fish counts observed inside some wind-farm areas could reflect population growth, lower fishing pressure or redistribution; the article says causes are uncertain. Noise, light and electromagnetic fields may also affect fish productivity or mortality, requiring more research.
- Both bottom-fixed and floating installations can affect local flora/fauna, including fish that spawn on the seabed. The page says IMR advises against siting farms in critical habitats for capelin and sand eel, whose eggs are laid in sandy bottoms. It concludes that monitoring and research are needed to balance wind development and ecosystem protection. Related industries: Energy and Offshore wind. No direct contact block is shown.