Disentangling risks and opportunities of offshore wind for marine ecosystems

Disentangling risks and opportunities of offshore wind for marine ecosystems Offshore wind brings new challenges alongside new opportunities for marine governance. Ecosystem models help to shed light on the complex interplay between humans and nature. When water stretches as far as the eye can see, the assumption lies near that the seas are infinite. However, what seems endless, is often already divided among stakeholders, each with their own interest in the resources and opportunities the oceans provide. In this crowded and much-competed space, the arrival of offshore renewable energy causes additional friction among established industries, such as shipping, fisheries, tourism or national defence, who each fear for their share of the “blue cake”. Achieving a fossil-free future is a necessity to combat and mitigate climate change. This is not possible without renewable energy, and increased use of offshore wind is key to reaching this goal. Considering the poor state of our oceans, a central challenge is, therefore, to facilitate the expansion of the energy sector, while at the same time mitigating conflicts with existing operations and protecting or even often restoring marine ecosystems, which form the basis of our well-being.