MARE-WIND: A Biodiversa+ european project led by the University of Liège to assess offshore wind impacts on marine ecosystems

MARE-WIND – Biodiversity and Offshore Wind: Understanding Transformative Impacts on Marine Ecosystems – has been selected for funding under the Biodiversa+ BiodivTransform call. It is the only funded project involving the University of Liège among the 35 projects retained from 105 full proposals evaluated. 

Coordinated by Krishna Das, F.R.S.–FNRS Senior Research Associate and Associate Professor within the  FOCUS – Freshwater and Oceanic sciences Unit of reSearch - at the Faculty of Science, the project aims to understand how the rapid expansion of offshore wind farms is reshaping the marine ecosystems of the North Sea. 

An interdisciplinary project to investigate ecological transformations driven by offshore wind energy 

While offshore wind energy plays a central role in Europe’s energy transition, its consequences for marine biodiversity remain insufficiently understood. MARE-WIND will explore these impacts through three key research questions: 

• Trophic interactions and contaminants – How does offshore wind infrastructure alter ecological interactions and the bioaccumulation of contaminants, including Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), in marine organisms? 
• Electromagnetic fields – How do subsea power cables influence the behaviour and movement patterns of marine species such as fish, seals and harbour porpoises? 
• Governance – What institutional and practical barriers hinder the development of genuinely biodiversity-conscious management strategies? 

Bringing together ecology, ecotoxicology, animal tracking, acoustic monitoring, modelling and social sciences, the consortium will develop a spatially explicit digital twin of offshore wind ecosystems. This innovative tool will support informed decision-making and help ensure that offshore renewable energy expansion aligns with marine conservation goals. 

“With MARE-WIND, we aim to understand how offshore energy is reshaping marine life, ensuring that the energy transition is accompanied by a genuine ecological and societal transition.” — Krishna Das, Project Coordinator (ULiège – FOCUS) 

Alongside the University of Liège, the project brings together several leading European institutions: 

• University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo, Germany) 
• Flanders Marine Institute – VLIZ (Belgium) 
• Ghent University – UGent (Belgium) 
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU (Norway)

A project aligned with European biodiversity priorities 

The BiodivTransform call supports interdisciplinary, three-year research projects that explore the transformations needed to halt biodiversity loss while addressing climate and environmental challenges. 

The Biodiversa+ Call Steering Committee — composed of all participating funding organisations — selected 35 projects, representing a total investment of over €40 million, including contributions from the European Commission. 

MARE-WIND will contribute directly to the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and Europe’s ambitions for the sustainable deployment of offshore renewable energy. 

About Biodiversa+ 

Biodiversa+ is the European Biodiversity Partnership supporting scientific excellence and societal impact across Europe. Launched in 2021 by BiodivERsA and the European Commission, it contributes to the goal that by 2030, nature in Europe is on a path to recovery and that by 2050, people live in harmony with nature. 

https://www.biodiversa.eu/

Contact 

Krishna Das