Planet Beyond Podcast

Best practice for offshore wind farm biodiversity

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Published

29 May 2025

Offshore wind farms promise to provide much of the clean power needed for the energy transition. But in their construction and operation, they interact with wildlife above and below the water. In this episode, the second of three on biodiversity and offshore wind, we learn how scientists are developing best practices for protecting birds and enhancing biodiversity underwater.

Jesper Kyed Larsen is a bioscience expert working with Vattenfall, and focuses on how we can measure interactions between birds and wind turbines. His work explores how vision systems and machine learning can be used to track birds as they fly around wind farms, and will help shape mitigation measures to reduce collisions.

Isaac de Boer Ferrier is project manager for the Rich North Sea programme at the North Sea Foundation. His organisation has been conducting research on how to encourage the formation of oyster beds around wind farms, which will boost biodiversity on the seabed around turbine foundations and anchoring systems. These projects, and more, are shared through the Rich North Sea Toolbox, a guide to enhancing biodiversity around wind farms.

Host

Jon Baston-Pitt, Fugro

Guests

Jasper Kyed Larsen, Bioscience Expert, Vattenfall
Isaac de Boer Ferrier, Project Manager, The Rich North Sea, The North Sea Foundation

 

Image credit | The Rich North Sea

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