Ecological Research at the Offshore Windfarm Alpha Ventus : Challenges, Results and Perspectives

At present and over the next few years, large-scale windfarms are being installed far off the coast of Germany in the North and Baltic Sea, making a major contribution to electricity generation from renewable energy sources. One of the German government’s aims is to ensure the environmentally sound and sustainable development of offshore wind energy. Germany’s first offshore test site, __alpha ventus__,was therefore accompanied from the construction phase to the first years of operation by an intensive environmental research programme, the StUKplus project, financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and coordinated by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. Marine and ecological aspects have been researched there for more than five years to improve the level of knowledge about the ecological impacts of offshore windfarms. This book provides a broad, richly illustrated overview of applied and new research methods and monitoring techniques. It summarises the key research findings on the impacts on benthic communities, fish, marine mammals and birds, also taking into account underwater sound and sediment measurements. Interpreting the results in the sense of lessons learned, new challenges and perspectives are discussed for future sustainable offshore development in German waters. **Content** Offshore development in Germany \* The __alpha ventus__ offshore test site \* The RAVE research initiative \* The StUKplus research project \* Sensitive species and habitats \* Research on oceanography, geology, benthic organisms, fish, resting birds, bird migration, marine mammals, underwater sound \* Noise mitigation systems \* Cumulative effects Target readershipResearch institutes, environmental consultancies working on offshore wind energy, decision makers in politics, representatives of wind energy operators, NGOs of marine nature protection AuthorsScientists of renowned research institutes, environmental consultancies and federal authorities, edited by Anika Beiersdorf and Katrin Wollny-Goerke **Published by** Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) At present and over the next few years, large-scale windfarms are being installed far off the coast of Germany in the North and Baltic Sea, making a major contribution to electricity generation from renewable energy sources. One of the German government ́ s aims is to ensure the environmentally sound and sustainable development of offshore wind energy. Germany ́ s first offshore test site, alpha ventus, was therefore accompanied from the construction phase to the first years of operation by an intensive environmental research programme, the StUKplus project, financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and coordinated by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. Marine and ecological aspects have been researched there for more than five years to improve the level of knowledge about the ecological impacts of offshore windfarms. This book provides a broad, richly illustrated overview of applied and new research methods and monitoring techniques. It summarises the key research findings on the impacts on benthic communities, fish, marine mammals and birds, also taking into account underwater sound and sediment measurements. Interpreting the results in the sense of lessons learned, new challenges and perspectives are discussed for future sustainable offshore development in German waters. ℗ Content Offshore development in Germany * The alpha ventus offshore test site * The RAVE research initiative * The StUKplus research project * Sensitive species and habitats * Research on oceanography, geology, benthic organisms, fish, resting birds, bird migration, marine mammals, underwater sound * Noise mitigation systems * Cumulative effects ℗ Target readership Research institutes, environmental consultancies working on offshore wind energy, decision makers in politics, representatives of wind energy operators, NGOs of marine nature protection ℗ Authors Scientists of renowned research institutes, environmental consultancies and federal authorities, edited by Anika Beiersdorf and Katrin Wollny-Goerke ℗ Published by Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) Front Matter....Pages I-XIX Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Current situation of offshore development in Germany and environmentally sound expansion of offshore wind energy....Pages 3-9 The Spatial Offshore Grid Plan for the German Exclusive Economic Zone....Pages 11-14 The alpha ventus offshore test site....Pages 15-23 The RAVE research initiative: A successful collaborative research, development and demonstration programme....Pages 25-29 Accompanying ecological research at alpha ventus : The StUKplus research project....Pages 31-37 Conservation features: Sensitive species and habitats in the German Exclusive Economic Zone....Pages 39-44 Challenges, results and perspectives: An interview with Christian Dahlke....Pages 45-49 Front Matter....Pages 51-52 Oceanographic and geological research at alpha ventus : Instruments for predicting environmental conditions and interactions....Pages 53-65 Rapid increase of benthic structural and functional diversity at the alpha ventus offshore test site....Pages 67-81 Effects of the alpha ventus offshore test site on pelagic fish....Pages 83-94 Effects of the alpha ventus offshore test site on distribution patterns, behaviour and flight heights of seabirds....Pages 95-110 Of birds, blades and barriers: Detecting and analysing mass migration events at alpha ventus ....Pages 111-131 Marine mammals and windfarms: Effects of alpha ventus on harbour porpoises....Pages 133-149 Marine habitat modelling for harbour porpoises in the German Bight....Pages 151-169 Underwater construction and operational noise at alpha ventus ....Pages 171-180 Noise mitigation systems and low-noise installation technologies....Pages 181-191 Cumulative impacts of offshore windfarms....Pages 193-198 Back Matter....Pages 199-201