Seabird monitoring in Mediterranean offshore wind farms

The Mediterranean is one of the world’s major migratory corridors: every year, millions of birds cross it as they move between Europe and Africa. In this context, the development of offshore wind energy requires a responsible approach capable of combining clean energy production with the protection of biodiversity.

What is offshore seabird monitoring:

• A systematic observation activity that records the bird species present in a marine area, noting their numbers, behavior, and movements.
• An essential practice for Mediterranean offshore wind farms such as Med Wind.

How it works:

• Field campaigns conducted by specialized biologists along predefined transects.
• Use of binoculars and high-resolution cameras.
• Standardized protocols following ISPRA Marine Environmental Monitoring Guidelines.

What it is for:

• Assessing interactions between migratory routes and areas designated for offshore wind installations.
• Providing scientific data to plan sustainable projects that minimize impacts on wildlife.
• Protecting the ecological balance of the Mediterranean during the energy transition.

When innovation is sustainable

In the heart of the Strait of Sicily, where constant winds blow and the sea holds a unique heritage of biodiversity, Renexia carries forward a clear vision: allowing energy and nature, innovation and respect to coexist.
This is where Med Wind will take shape—the largest floating offshore wind farm in the Mediterranean—designed to produce clean energy while enhancing the ecological richness of the sea.

Every phase of the project is a meeting point between diverse expertise: engineers, technicians, oceanographers, and biologists, who work together daily to build a model of sustainable transition.
Among them is Enrico Guzzo, a biologist specialized in migration ecology, who—during geotechnical surveys aboard the vessel used by Renexia for seabed studies—carried out a monitoring campaign on offshore migratory seabirds.

 

Results of the scientific study

The objective of the scientific activity is to understand how the migratory routes of birds crossing the central Mediterranean interact with areas designated for offshore wind development, providing valuable data for the environmental assessments that guide every phase of the Med Wind project.

The survey took place 40 to 80 kilometers off the Sicilian coast, along daily transects traveled at constant speed to ensure systematic observation of species in flight or at rest.
Activities, conducted in accordance with ISPRA Marine Environmental Monitoring Guidelines, involved the use of binoculars and high-resolution cameras to collect quantitative and photographic data, later processed using standardized ecological indicators.

During the 42 days of observation, 2,974 individuals belonging to 40 different species were recorded, including the Scopoli’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) —a symbol of Mediterranean pelagic birdlife and the most frequently observed species, accounting for over 80% of total sightings.
Raptors in active migration were also recorded, such as the European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), along with transcontinental passerines, herons, and swifts.

Analyses confirmed the fully consistent with international maps from BirdLife Internatioecological importance of the Marettimo area as a Euro-African migratory corridor and a zone of high biological sensitivity,nal and LIPU.

Energy and biodiversity: a possible balance

The monitoring conducted represents a concrete example of how technological innovation and environmental protection can advance together. For Renexia, every phase of the Med Wind project is based on an integrated vision of sustainability, where scientific research becomes a fundamental tool for understanding, assessing, and protecting marine ecosystems.

This multidisciplinary approach makes it possible to evaluate and mitigate the impacts of offshore activities, ensuring that the energy transition takes place with full respect for biodiversity and the delicate balance of the Mediterranean.

Knowledge and respect for the Mediterranean

The experience in the Strait of Sicily provided an opportunity to closely observe the extraordinary biodiversity of the Mediterranean and to refine a research model that combines direct monitoring, spatial analysis, and ecological planning.
A commitment that reaffirms Renexia’s mission: to develop renewable energy in harmony with the environment, promoting sustainable growth grounded in knowledge, innovation, and responsibility.