Environmental Impact and Marine Ecosystems

This research cluster investigates how offshore wind energy interacts with marine ecosystems, emphasizing ecological sustainability, environmental impact assessments, and innovative solutions for ecosystem-friendly offshore operations. 

Beyond evaluating present-day effects, researchers also apply forward-looking scientific methods—including risk assessment—to better understand how changes in offshore wind design or new operational strategies may influence marine ecosystems, both now and in the future.

Researchers explore marine biodiversity, food web stability, carbon and nutrient cycling, eco-friendly antifouling methods, multi-use concepts integrating aquaculture, life-cycle sustainability assessment, circular design principles, and the overall ecological effects of offshore wind farms. By linking marine biology, ecology, sediment biogeochemistry, sustainability science, and aquaculture, the group ensures offshore wind development proceeds in harmony with ocean health and biodiversity conservation.

Our research group team leads

• Prof. Annelies Declercq – Expert in marine aquaculture and aquatic ecology, exploring sustainable use of marine resources (e.g. integrating aquaculture or marine biomass production in offshore wind farm zones) as part of multi-use of ocean space.
• Prof. Colin Janssen – Full professor of ecotoxicology and applied marine ecology, leading research on environmental risk  assessment for marine systems (e.g. assessing how offshore wind farms affect marine life and water quality)
• Prof. Jan Vanaverbeke (RBINS/UGent), involved in research on how  the introduction of offshore renewable energy devices (wind farms, marine floating photovoltaics) affect marine ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service supply at the local and larger scale.  
• Prof. Jana Asselman – Studies marine ecosystems and biotechnology, with research on biofouling of offshore structures and developing eco-friendly antifouling methods. Her work also includes assessing environmental risks of human activities at sea using a range of approaches from data-rich ecological risk assessments to more qualitative, data-limited methods. Additionally, she integrates food-web modeling to understand ecosystem interactions and potential cascading effects from environmental changes; also assesses environmental risks of human activities at sea.
• Prof. Jo Dewulf – Leads life-cycle and sustainability assessments for offshore energy systems, examining critical raw materials, circular design, and eco-design to minimize the environmental footprint of wind turbines.
• Prof. Steven Degraer –  Marine biologist (RBINS/UGent) specializing in the ecological impacts of offshore wind farms, including artificial reef effects, impacts on marine biodiversity, and monitoring programs for offshore wind environmental effects.
• Prof. Ulrike Braeckman – Marine ecologist studying various aspects of human activities on seafloor (benthic) ecosystems; expertise in macrobenthos community ecology, sediment biogeochemistry (carbon and nutrient cycling), and food web modeling using empirical data to understand offshore wind farm environmental and ecological effects.