IMPACTS: "Acoustic Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy on Fishery Resources: An Evolving Source and Varied Effects Across a Wind Farm's Lifetime" - Mooney et al., 2020
With the global expansion of offshore wind energy, the acoustic impacts on marine organisms are increasingly coming into the focus of scientific attention. The article “Acoustic Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy on Fishery Resources: An Evolving Source and Varies Effects Across a Wind Farm’s Lifetime” by Mooney et al. (2020) offers a detailed analysis of how sound emissions from various phases in the lifecycle of offshore wind farms – from construction and operation to decommissioning – affect the behavioural patterns, physiological processes, and habitats of fish species that are of both ecological and economic importance.
The authors show that particularly impulsive sound events during pile driving, as well as low-frequency continuous noise during operation, can trigger significant stress responses, spatial avoidance behaviour, and impairments in communication and foraging. These effects extend beyond individual organisms and may have consequences at the population and stock levels – with direct feedback effects on commercial fishery resources and marine food webs.
Mooney et al. emphasize the urgent need to systematically integrate acoustic effects into environmental impact assessments and management strategies. They call for strengthened interdisciplinary research and the development of technical and regulatory noise mitigation measures. Their contribution provides a robust foundation for the sustainable governance of offshore wind energy expansion, with particular attention to the acoustic burden on marine fish resources.