Assessing the Potential Impacts of Floating Offshore Wind Farms on Vulnerable Species in the Mediterranean Sea

There are currently no large offshore wind farms in the Mediterranean Sea. However, floating offshore wind has the potential to allow wind energy developments in this region. There are already proposals in areas where the meteorological and oceanographic conditions are optimal for power generation. However, some of those offshore development areas present a high biodiversity that embrace a diverse set of sensitive or vulnerable species including marine mammals, sea turtles, birds, fish and macroinvertebrates. In this study, we use a case study to evaluate the impacts of the different elements of offshore floating wind farms (including associated infrastructure such as electric substations) on vulnerable species. The wind farm projects proposed in the area of Cap de Creus / Gulf of Roses (Spain) allowed us to explore the different impacts by different technologies and stages of wind farm life on different vulnerable taxa.