Presentations

Abstract

The expansion of offshore wind in the North and the Baltic Seas is central to Europe’s energy transition, but it raises critical challenges for safeguarding biodiversity and marine ecosystems. Offshore wind interacts with multiple marine pressures, including seabed disturbance, noise, hydrodynamic change, and increased turbidity, which may overlap with ecologically sensitive habitats and species. Effective decision-making requires robust methods to quantify environmental vulnerability at a scale relevant to offshore wind planning. This work presents a spatial framework for large-scale vulnerability quantification in the North Sea (~86 000 km2). By combining spatial data on offshore wind–related pressures with ecological sensitivity layers, we produce high-resolution maps highlighting areas of relative vulnerability. The framework integrates hydrodynamic model outputs with datasets on habitats, species distributions, and primary productivity. Vulnerability is quantified by combining scaled and weighted pressures and sensitivities into a single index. Multiple weighting and aggregation methods were tested to provide a universal indicator across diverse datasets and ecological components. The results provide a synoptic view of where multiple offshore wind–related pressures may overlap with sensitive ecosystems. Vulnerability maps can be used to identify potential conflict zones, guide site selection, and inform early mitigation strategies. For developers, regulators, and planners, this offers a transparent, science-based way to de-risk projects and ensure alignment with biodiversity protection. The framework is adaptable and can be expanded to the Baltic Sea and other European waters as more data become available.