DRACCAR-MMERMAID

The increasing number of Offshore Wind Farms (OWF) raises key environmental and societal issues as for their impacts on wildlife. Marine megafauna species, such as fish, seabirds and marine mammals, are at the heart of concerns. These species represent the high end of food webs, play key roles in ecosystem functioning and are also of socio-economic and cultural importance. They may be influenced by OWF, in their distribution, abundance and behaviour in relation to potential direct effects but also to a large array of ecological underlying effects. It is therefore essential to develop an integrative and long-term approach to improve our understanding of OWF effects on the marine environment.