Oceanic records of North American bats and implications for offshore wind energy development in the United States

Abstract

The electricity potential from offshore wind in the United States is estimated to be more than 2000 gigawatts, roughly twice the nation's current total generation (Musail et al., 2016). Two wind farms are now in operation off the coasts of Rhode Island and Virginia (Figure 1), while 29 offshore wind farms are in varying stages of development in the United States (AWEA, 2020a), with a projected build-out of 30 gigawatts of offshore energy by the year 2030. The adverse effects of offshore wind generation on wildlife are generally acknowledged to be low relative to those of conventional electricity generation technologies (Allison et al., 2019;Gibson et al., 2017). However, adverse impacts are still possible, and understanding the ecological significance of these effects is

Monitoring and Modeling Tree Bat (Genera: Lasiurus, Lasionycteris) Occurrence Using Acoustics on Structures off the Mid-Atlantic Coast—Implications for Offshore Wind Development

“…We understand that a multitude of atmospheric conditions relate to the activity states of bats [ 28 ] and the migratory behavior of birds [ 30 ]. Indeed, many observations of over-ocean flying bats have been during calm conditions [ 88 ]. We were initially surprised that visibility was selected as a relevant variable considering that bats rely on audible cues to navigate during flight via echolocation.…”

“…We also argue that our study continues a trend of consistency across studies. Tree bats appear to use offshore areas on the east coast during a certain set of conditions—calm and warm weather, during fall (and to some extent spring), and nearer to shorelines or forest coverage than far [ 27 , 88 ]. Therefore, we believe our results are fairly generalizable to the surrounding region of the mid-Atlantic coastline.…”

Fall migration, oceanic movement, and site residency patterns of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) on the mid-Atlantic Coast

“…In eastern North America, eastern red bats ( Lasiurus borealis ), hoary bats ( L. cinereus ), and silver-haired bats ( Lasionycteris noctivagans ) engage in northward movements to maternity areas in the spring and southward movements to overwintering habitats in the fall [ 1 – 4 ]. Mortality data from the Appalachian Mountains suggests that bat collisions with wind turbines generally aligns with this timing, and fatalities of these species are elevated during spring migration (April–May) and dramatically peaks during late summer into the fall migration and mating period (late July–October; [ 5 – 8 ]). Along the Atlantic Coast, where expansive offshore wind-energy development is projected to be installed [ 5 , 6 ], it is plausible that bats use the coastline as a linear topographic reference for navigation and that favorable atmospheric conditions along the coast encourage coastal migration [ 7 – 9 ], and that the areas may also serve as mating grounds coinciding with fall migration for some species.…”

“…Mortality data from the Appalachian Mountains suggests that bat collisions with wind turbines generally aligns with this timing, and fatalities of these species are elevated during spring migration (April–May) and dramatically peaks during late summer into the fall migration and mating period (late July–October; [ 5 – 8 ]). Along the Atlantic Coast, where expansive offshore wind-energy development is projected to be installed [ 5 , 6 ], it is plausible that bats use the coastline as a linear topographic reference for navigation and that favorable atmospheric conditions along the coast encourage coastal migration [ 7 – 9 ], and that the areas may also serve as mating grounds coinciding with fall migration for some species. Cryan [ 10 ] noted that easily-identifiable landmarks (such as the shape of the coastline) are used as breeding areas, heightening the concern about coastal development as a threat to the long-term population viability of the bat species in question [ 11 – 13 ].…”

Drone‐mounted audio‐visual deterrence of bats: implications for reducing aerial wildlife mortality by wind turbines

“…Common methodologies often produce underestimations of mortality, which may cause unsuitable positioning and management of wind farms (Ferrer et al., 2012; Mathews et al., 2013; Smallwood et al., 2020; Villegas‐Patraca et al., 2012). The rotation of the blades makes them invisible to aerial wildlife (Horn et al., 2008; Kunz et al., 2011) and several studies even suggest that bats are attracted to wind turbines, perhaps due to their artificial lighting, which may attract insects and subsequently insectivores (Horn et al., 2008; Kunz, Arnett, et al., 2007; Lintott et al., 2016; Roeleke et al., 2016; Solick & Newman, 2021).…”