This Educational Research Brief summarizes the potential effects on fish ecology of introducing new substrate into the marine environment from offshore wind farm development, including introduction of foundations, anchors, and cables. Consideration is given to international and U.S. offshore wind research related to the effects on habitat, colonization of introduced substrates, and trophic web structure and functioning. Consideration is given to the potential artificial reef effects of turbine foundations, referring to their ability in some cases to mimic characteristics of a natural reef and associated attraction of fish and invertebrates.
This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This volume addresses the potential for combining large-scale marine aquaculture of macroalgae, molluscs, crustaceans, and finfish, with offshore structures, primarily those associated with energy production, such as wind turbines and oil-drilling platforms. The volume offers a comprehensive overview and includes chapters on policy, science, engineering, and economic aspects to make this concept a reality. The compilation of chapters authored by internationally recognized researchers across the globe addresses the theoretical and practical aspects of multi-use, and presents case studies of research, development, and demonstration-scale installations in the US and EU.
The generation of electricity by wind energy has the potential to reduce environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels. Although the use of wind energy to generate electricity is increasing rapidly in the United States, government guidance to help communities and developers evaluate and plan proposed wind-energy projects is lacking. Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects offers an analysis of the environmental benefits and drawbacks of wind energy, along with an evaluation guide to aid decision-making about projects. It includes a case study of the mid-Atlantic highlands, a mountainous area that spans parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. This book will inform policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels.
This new definitive volume on fish auditory systems will interest investigators in both basic research of fish bioacoustics as well as investigators in applied aspects of fisheries and resource management. Topics cover structure, physiology, localization, and acoustic behavior as well as more applied topics such as using sound to detect and locate fish.
It is now widely recognized that there is a need for long-term secure and suitable sustainable forms of energy. Renewable energy from the marine environment, in particular renewable energy from tidal currents, wave and wind, can help achieve a sustainable energy future. Our understanding of environmental impacts and suitable mitigation methods associated with extracting renewable energy from the marine environment is improving all the time and it is essential that we be able to distinguish between natural and anthropocentric drivers and impacts. An overview of current understanding of the environmental implications of marine renewable energy technology is provided.
With the health of the world’s oceans threatened as never before, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play a vitally important role in protecting marine and coastal habitats. Management of Marine Protected Areas: A Network Perspective draws on the results of a major EU-sponsored research project related to the establishment of networks of MPAs in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that transpired from February 2011 to January 2016. Featuring contributions by leading university- and national research institute-based scientists, chapters utilize the latest research data and developments in marine conservation policy to explore issues related to ways in which networks of MPAs may amplify the effectiveness and conservation benefits of individual areas within them. Topics addressed include the broader socio-economic impacts of MPAs in the Mediterranean and Black Seas; the use of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to resolve conflicts between marine resource use and protection; special protection measures under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD); ecological value assessments in the Black Sea; the Ecosystem Approach (EA) for managing marine ecosystems; MPAs along Turkey’s Black Sea coast; MPAs and offshore wind farms; and managing and monitoring MPA networks within and between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Timely and important, Management of Marine Protected Areas: A Network Perspective offers invaluable insights into the role of MPAs in preserving the welfare and long-term viability of our world’s oceans.
Artificial habitats have been used for centuries to successfully modify environments for the benefit of Man. In the aquatic environment, the use of artificial habitat technologies is of growing interest worldwide. Opportunities exist in both developed and developing nations to apply these technologies in many areas, including classical scientific investigations of ecosystem structure and function, engineering advances in underwater technology, and fisheries and environmental management. The applications of artificial habitat technologies are taking on ever greater economic, social, and environmental importance globally, not only in developed countries such as Japan where highly sophisticated technologies are used, but also in developing nations, where lower cost practices are in use. There is growing pressure to increase production, while at the same time preserve or enhance the environments and ecosystems surrounding fisheries. This book provides a comprehensive review of the facts, issues, and global trends emerging regarding the use of artificial habitats in aquatic ecosystems. It presents the most recent scientific advances in ecology and engineering technologies related to the building of artificial habitats, and it also presents many of the fisheries management and socioeconomic and environmental issues. Artificial Habitats for Marine and Freshwater Fisheries will be of interest to a broad audience including natural resource scientists, planners, and managers, particularly those interested in aquatic and fisheries science and management; organizations and individuals interested in commercial and recreational fishing; ecologists; environmental economists, engineers, lawyers, and social scientists; and geographers. - Presents a global scope - Draws together, for the first time, disparate literature - Contains contributions by authors in the United States and Japan - Features engineering chapters that focus on Japanese advanced technology often not available to the English language audience
Biofouling (the colonisation of an interface by a diverse array of organisms) is almost always a problem where it occurs, as it negatively affects surfaces, the materials that they are made from and the structures that they form, and can even destroy them. This comprehensive book covers in detail in its first section the processes involved in marine , freshwater and medical biofouling including coverage of settlement by larvae and spores, biofouling community processes, epibiosis (biofouling on living organisms) and microbial fouling, including biofilms deleterious to human health. The book's second section, encompassing biofouling processes with industrial implications, includes coverage of biofouling on artificial substrata, paints and coatings technology for the control of marine biofouling, biofouling and antifouling in the maritime industries, such as shipping, offshore oil , and aquaculture, and in power stations and other industries. The impacts of both biofouling and biofouling control and details of current legislation of relevance to biofouling issues are fully covered. The book's final section looks at methods for the measurement of biofouling, and future prospects for biofouling, including in-depth coverage of the changes anticipated in biofouling worldwide due to global climate change, and likely future directions in antifouling research, technology and legislation. Biofouling, which includes contributions from many international experts, is an essential reference for all those working in the antifouling industry including those involved in formulation of antifouling products such as paints and other coatings. Aquatic biologists, ecologists, environmental scientists and lawyers, marine engineers, aquaculture personnel, chemists, and medical researchers will all find much of interest within this book. All universities and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught should have copies of this important work on their shelves.
Most European seas articifial reef (AR) programmes are included in this book. Interests in ARs are varied, ranging from the "expected" fishery enhancement through mariculture and ranching, nutrient removal and into environmental and habitat protection and nature conservation.
Songbirds are often used as indicators of environmental health. From the canary in the coalmine, to shifts in demographics and population patterns, birds tell us when things are not well. More often than not, these observable trends are a result of adaptive behavior that has evolved over many generations. Understanding foundation concepts of songbird behavior, including the rate at which behavioral changes occur and the limits of plasticity, is a requirement for anyone interested in sustaining healthy songbird populations in the Anthropocene. Yet, our world is changing rapidly. Can songbirds adapt quickly enough to keep up? Observed declines in many species worldwide suggest that the answer is no. To avoid extinction for many species, our conservation strategies must be broader and more intentional. For example, are there ways to actively manage habitats so that vital cue-response systems are kept intact? Anthropogenic factors are also altering how birds select mates and habitats, sometimes in ways that decrease fitness. Can biologists actively manipulate behavior to mitigate these mismatches? The first goal of this book is to educate academics and managers alike about the foundational behaviors that drive songbird activity and demographic patterns. Topics such as migration, habitat selection, communication, etc., are explored by renown songbird biologist to bring the reader up to speed on the latest advancements in the field. However, each author is also versed in the principles of conservation. The second goal of this book is to explore the current issues that songbirds face in an increasingly anthropic world – and to discuss the role of behavior in the development of management solutions. By broadening our conservation toolkit, we can be more prepared to manage songbird populations and communities within the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene.
