No, there is no reliable evidence to support this claim. An early study on small offshore wind turbine foundations suggests an increase in the variety of species present close to the turbine bases due to the introduction of hard substrata (rocks and concrete) around the turbine bases. This may be due to
the fact that fishing is not allowed within the wind farm areas. It is known from a recently published long-term study carried out in Belgium that impacts change over time. After a ten-year period of monitoring, while initially it looked as if there might be some positive changes, the authors reported ‘slimeification’ and decline of the initial invasive species, effectively leading to significant deterioration of the original ecosystem. The study concludes that earlier reports on offshore wind turbines as potential biodiversity hotspots should be considered premature.

In short, turbines and hard substrata do not belong in functioning, high biodiversity, sandy or soft mud ecosystems. Hard structures such as these facilitate the development and proliferation of different and potentially invasive species that will out-compete native species resulting in reduced biodiversity.

Did you know that sand eels, on which whales and endangered bird species feed, require sand to survive and reproduce? Construction of windfarms on sandbanks would require the removal of 3-6 metres depth of sand, destroying this important sandy habitat. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red-listed Puffin and Kittiwake feed almost exclusively on sand eel, which means construction of wind farms on sandbanks has a direct impact on species protected under the Birds and Habitats Directive.