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  • © 2014

Ecological Research at the Offshore Windfarm alpha ventus

Challenges, Results and Perspectives

  • Ecological research at the first offshore wind test field in the German North Sea

  • Impacts of an offshore wind farm on marine biodiversity - conditions, challenges, results and perspectives

  • With the focus on benthic communities, fish, birds and marine mammals

  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XIX
  2. Main section

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 51-52
    2. Rapid increase of benthic structural and functional diversity at the alpha ventus offshore test site

      • Lars Gutow, Katharina Teschke, Andreas Schmidt, Jennifer Dannheim, Roland Krone, Manuela Gusky
      Pages 67-81
    3. Effects of the alpha ventus offshore test site on distribution patterns, behaviour and flight heights of seabirds

      • Bettina Mendel, Jana Kotzerka, Julia Sommerfeld, Henriette Schwemmer, Nicole Sonntag, Stefan Garthe
      Pages 95-110
    4. Of birds, blades and barriers: Detecting and analysing mass migration events at alpha ventus

      • Reinhold Hill, Katrin Hill, Ralf Aumüller, Axel Schulz, Tobias Dittmann, Christoph Kulemeyer et al.
      Pages 111-131
    5. Marine mammals and windfarms: Effects of alpha ventus on harbour porpoises

      • Michael Dähne, Verena Peschko, Anita Gilles, Klaus Lucke, Sven Adler, Katrin Ronnenberg et al.
      Pages 133-149
    6. Marine habitat modelling for harbour porpoises in the German Bight

      • Henrik Skov, Stefan Heinänen, Dennis Arreborg-Hansen, Florian Ladage, Bastian Schlenz, Ramünas Zydelis et al.
      Pages 151-169
    7. Cumulative impacts of offshore windfarms

      • Hans-Peter Damian, Thomas Merck
      Pages 193-198

About this book

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.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Hamburg, Germany

    Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency

  • Berlin, Germany

    Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety

About the editors

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)

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access