Understanding risks to non-breeding seabirds from offshore wind farms

背景面对当前的能源危机和净零目标，英国和苏格兰政府致力于快速发展大型海上风电场(OWF)。然而，由于对OWF对受保护海鸟种群的影响了解不足，阻碍了以必要的规模和速度部署OWF以实现目标。目的在繁殖期，人们对常见的海燕和斑嘴鸟的觅食行为及其与OWF的潜在相互作用进行了较为深入的研究。然而，我们对它们的繁殖后行为知之甚少，特别是在蜕皮和初冬期间。然而，这两个时期既是自然脆弱性很高的时期，也是与OWF潜在互动的时期。这一关键的知识差距限制了我们对OWF发展的潜在影响的理解，并对同意过程产生了影响。通过与利益相关者的直接合作，该项目试图填补这些差距，通过以下目标直接为OWF的规划和许可提供信息：1.使用稳定的羽毛和被捕食鱼类物种的同位素特征来探索初冬期间海雀的组成和饮食变化。2.从追踪中发展我们对海雀在初冬期间使用的觅食策略和战术的理解。3.通过建立和应用基于个体的模型，评估流浪儿童的迁移对海雀的影响。新奇通过结合不同的方法，该项目将为这个很少研究但却是年度周期的关键阶段提供独特的见解。在实验室、现场、分析和政策制定方面，学生将建立一个全面的技能组合。时间安排为应对全球能源安全担忧，OWF扩张的时间安排已大幅加快。在苏格兰政府作为案例合作伙伴的情况下，该项目的成果将被迅速吸收到决策中。完成后，学生将立即可以在不断扩大的英国OWF部门担任高技能职位，该部门存在明显的人员短缺。

BackgroundFaced with the current energy crisis and Net Zero targets, the UK and Scottish governments are committed to rapid developments of large-scale offshore windfarms (OWF). However, OWF deployment at the necessary scales and pace to meet targets is hindered by inadequate understanding of their impact on protected seabird populations. ObjectivesThe foraging behaviour and potential interaction with OWFs of common guillemots and razorbills (auks) are relatively well-studied during the breeding season. However, we know far less about their post-breeding behaviour, particularly during the moult and early winter periods. Yet these are periods of both high natural vulnerability and potential interactions with OWFs. This critical knowledge gap limits our understanding of the potential impact of OWF development, with consequences for the consenting process.By working directly with stakeholders this project seeks to fill these gaps to directly inform planning and licensing of OWF via these objectives:1. Use stable isotope signatures of feathers and prey fish species to explore composition and variation in diet of auks during early winter. 2. Develop our understanding of foraging strategies and tactics used by auks during early winter from tracking. 3. Evaluate the impacts of displacement by OWFs on auks via development and application of an individual-based model. NoveltyBy combining diverse approaches this project will provide unique insights into this rarely-studied yet critical phase of the annual cycle. Working in the lab, field, analysis and in policy development, the student will build a rounded skills portfolio. TimelinessIn response to global energy security concerns, timelines for OWF expansion have been dramatically accelerated. With Scottish Government as a CASE partner, this project's outputs will be rapidly assimilated into decision making. Upon completion the student will be immediately employable in high-skill roles in the expanding UK OWF sector where there is a notable personnel shortage.