Offshore wind farms (OWFs) create new habitats that attract marine life and enhance carbon cycling. However, studies show these ecosystems are less stable than natural ones. They have fewer feeding links, lower recycling of nutrients, and many low-biomass species that aren’t well integrated—making them fragile and vulnerable to collapse from storms, heatwaves, disease, or construction stress. While they offer ecological and climate benefits, they risk creating brittle systems if not supported. Investing in technologies and designs that embed these habitats more fully into the surrounding ecosystem—such as reef-like structures or sediment integration—could enhance resilience and turn OWFs into true ecological assets. Gippsland could lead the world in offshore wind innovation that actively regenerates and strengthens marine ecosystems.
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