Review of seabird monitoring technologies for offshore wind farms

The ORJIP Offshore Wind programme publishes a review of the technologies and systems available to monitor seabird collision and avoidance behaviours around windfarms.

Seabird monitoring report cover

Overview

The Carbon Trust, in collaboration with ORJIP Offshore Wind partners, has published a review of seabird monitoring technologies for offshore wind farms. This report forms part of a wider study titled ‘Review of current and planned monitoring seabird behaviour across operational wind farms (SBMon)’, looking to assess data, technologies and approaches used to gather and analyse evidence on seabirds collision and avoidance behaviours, with the objective to improve collision risk models.

The review considers monitoring technologies and campaigns deployed at offshore wind farms globally, as well as those that are installed at onshore wind farms and have the potential to be deployed offshore. The report provides an analysis on the following areas for radar, camera, and acoustic technologies:

  • System design
  • System functioning
  • Hosting/logistical requirements
  • Data collection
  • Data processing and data analysis
  • Recommendations
Publication date: May 2022
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Key findings

The review reveals that at-present no single technology can monitor all seabird avoidance behaviours and collisions. However, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the capabilities of radar, camera, and acoustic technologies to track these.

About the project

The project has been advised by the ORJIP Offshore Wind Steering Group, and SBMon Project Expert Panel formed by BioSS, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Marine Scotland Science, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales (Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru), NatureScot, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.    

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