How would the proposed Humboldt offshore wind project affect fish?

The main concerns (1) regarding impacts to fish are related to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) (2) and impacts (3) to the upwelling system. There are also potential benefits to fish from the offshore wind farms. On the East Coast, offshore wind turbine platforms are acting as artificial reefs (4) that enhance fish habitat. Some researchers have also theorized that, by reducing fishing, offshore wind farms can also benefit fish species in ways similar to a marine protected area (5). In other words, "within the boundaries of offshore wind farms, changes in certain practices/activities could lead to a reserve effect during the operational phase. Combined with the introduction of new structures in the marine environment (foundations, floaters, cable protection systems, etc.), this reserve effect could be amplified by the reef effect, these two effects being intrinsically linked" (8). Click here to learn about the low risk of offshore wind farms facilitating the introduction and spread of non-native species, and ways to mitigate the risk (9).

Quillback rockfish (Sebastes maliger).

Source: CDFW (6)

Click here to read more about potential impacts off offshore wind farms to coastal fish and their essential habitats (10) from COME3T in March 2024. Click here to read more about potential impacts to fish due to floating offshore wind in California (7) from the California Ocean Science Trust in July 2024.

References

Vanderhein, I. (2022, December 1). North Coast Fisherman Fear for the Future of Commercial Fisheries as Offshore Wind Efforts Advance. Lost Coast Outpost. https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2022/dec/1/offshore-wind/
U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. (2023, December). Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) from Offshore Wind Facilities. www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/renewable-energy/state-activities/BOEM-Electromagnetic-Fields-Offshore-Wind-Facilities_1.pdf
Raghukumar, K., Nelson, T., Chang, G., et al. (2024, February 27). A Numerical Modeling Framework to Evaluate Effects of Offshore Wind Farms on California’s Coastal Upwelling Ecosystem. California Energy Commission. www.energy.ca.gov/publications/2024/numerical-modeling-framework-evaluate-effects-offshore-wind-farms-californias
The Nature Conservancy. (2024, June 4). Turbine Reefs: Designing Offshore Wind Power to Improve Habitat for Marine Life. www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/protect-water-and-land/land-and-water-stories/wind-turbines-restoring-habitat/
Ashley, M.C., Mangi, S.C., and Rodwell, L.D. (2014, March). The potential of offshore windfarms to act as marine protected areas – A systematic review of current evidence. Marine Policy, 45: 301-309. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308597X13001991
NOAA Fisheries. (2023, December 14). Overfished Declaration for Quillback Rockfish off California Likely to Limit Fishing. www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/overfished-declaration-quillback-rockfish-california-likely-limit-fishing
California Ocean Science Trust. (2024, July). Impacts to Fish and Seafloor Habitats. www.oceansciencetrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/OST-Science-Factsheet-5-Fish-Final.pdf
France Energies Marines. (2022, March). The reef effect induced by wind farms and their grid connection. Tethys. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/publications/COME3T-bulletin-3-effet-recif-EN-BD.pdf
France Energies Marines. (2019, December). Does the colonisation of offshore renewable energy farms facilitate the introduction and spread of non-indigenous species? Tethys. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/publications/COME3T-bulletin2-non-indigenous-species.pdf
France Energies Marines. (2024, March). What are the potential effects of offshore wind farms on coastal fish and their essential habitats? Tethys. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/publications/FEM-COME3T-Bulletin-10_English.pdf