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Potential Impacts Identified

Noise and electromagnetic field (EMF) effects
Displacement from, entanglement and collision with, attraction to, or avoidance of OSW infrastructure
Habitat alteration:
The artificial reef effect, pollution, primary productivity changes, and changes in physical and oceanographic processes.

In total, 61 references were identified. All reviewed literature was published between 2009 and 2024, with 76.3% published after 2020. Furthermore, 27 (44%) sources deemed most relevant to California marine ecosystems are discussed.
Most (75%) examine impacts on whales, birds, and pelagic communities, with few studies providing insights into sea turtles, bats, benthic communities, or atmospheric and oceanographic processes. Geographically, most research has been conducted in Europe, specifically the North Sea (30%). At a finer spatial scale, 100% of the studies were conducted in depths less than 150 m of water. Notably, 83% of those studies were conducted in depths less than or equal to 100 m. California’s turbines could occur at depths between 800 and 2,000 m.

BOEM recently conducted a Biological Assessment (BA) to assess the impacts of site assessment activities in California WEAs on whales, sea turtles, fish, and their habitats listed in the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The BA identified the following impacts for Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed species associated with geophysical and geotechnical surveys and deployment and decommissioning of meta ocean buoys in the California WEAs :
Noise from geophysical and geotechnical surveys and vessel noise
Vessel collisions
Entanglement
Chemical and toxic pollution
Marine debris
The ESA-listed species BOEM defined as “likely to occur” in California’s WEA during geophysical and geotechnical surveys and deployment and decommissioning of meta ocean buoys are listed below. The report found “that the impacts to protected species and critical habitat from site characterization surveys and site assessment activities will be negligible and not likely to adversely affect ESA-listed protected species or associated critical habitat adversely” (BOEM 2022, p. 60).

Endangered and Protected Species (ESA) Likely to Occur in California WEA (BOEM July 2022)

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