Biodiversity
Understanding, monitoring and protecting the marine ecosystem is a key priority for WindFloat Atlantic.
A comprehensive set of environmental studies has been conducted across all project phases and continue to this day. These long-term monitoring programmes encompass areas such as marine mammals, birds, bats, water quality, underwater noise and broader marine biodiversity.
Building on this work, the Floating Offshore Wind & Biodiversity Coexistence: A Data-Driven Report from WindFloat Atlantic consolidates and analyses the results of these pioneering studies, complemented by additional research on marine species conducted over five years of operation.
The report was produced by Blue Grid, an independent consultancy partner with the valuable contribution of two of Portugal’s leading research institutions: the MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre at the University of Lisbon (MARE-ULisboa) and the Polytechnic of Leiria (MARE-IPLeiria).
Key takeaways:
Results highlight the project’s limited environmental impact alongside clear local ecological benefits, such as: :
- No significant impacts on overall ecosystem functioning, with marine communities remaining stable and largely driven by natural variability (seasonal and interannual changes).
- Localized positive effects have been observed within the project area, including a higher presence of fish and other species within the project area.
- Creation of new habitats around floating structures, contributing to increased biodiversity.
Check out the full Report here and discover how we operate in harmony with the environment.