Understanding risks to non-breeding seabirds from offshore wind farms

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，由于对其对受保护海鸟种群的影响认识不足，以必要的规模和速度部署OWF以实现目标受到阻碍。目的研究海鸠和海雀在繁殖季节的觅食行为及其与owf的潜在相互作用。然而，我们对它们繁殖后的行为知之甚少，特别是在换毛和初冬期间。然而，这些都是自然脆弱性高的时期，也是与owf潜在相互作用的时期。这种关键的知识差距限制了我们对OWF开发的潜在影响的理解，并对同意过程产生了影响。通过与利益相关者直接合作，本项目旨在通过以下目标填补这些空白，直接为OWF的规划和许可提供信息：利用羽毛和猎物鱼类的稳定同位素特征，探索海雀在初冬期间的饮食组成和变化。2. 通过跟踪了解海雀在初冬的觅食策略和策略。3. 通过发展和应用以个体为基础的模型，评估海洋生物迁移对海雀的影响。通过结合多种方法，该项目将为这个很少被研究的年度周期的关键阶段提供独特的见解。在实验室，现场，分析和政策制定工作，学生将建立一个全面的技能组合。为了应对全球能源安全问题，OWF扩建的时间表已大大加快。由于苏格兰政府是案例合作伙伴，该项目的产出将迅速纳入决策。完成后，学生将立即在不断扩大的英国OWF部门担任高技能职位，那里有明显的人才短缺。

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.