Offshore Wind Reshapes Atlantic Marine Food Webs

A new modeling study finds sediment-dwelling invertebrates and mussels are especially influential as turbine foundations alter seabed ecosystems.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Environmental

Offshore Wind Reshapes Atlantic Marine Food Webs

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Should the U.S. keep expanding offshore wind farms along the Atlantic Coast?

Kim Lato and collaborators published a study in Scientific Reports modeling how offshore wind turbine foundations affect marine food webs at three U.S. Atlantic development sites. The models compared conditions before construction with conditions approximately four years after construction.

Why it matters

Turbine foundations introduce hard surfaces into environments dominated by soft sediments, and the study indicates that offshore wind development may shift marine food webs toward more mature, stable states while changing how energy and nutrients move through them. The findings bear on how the United States balances clean-energy expansion with protection of Atlantic marine ecosystems.

The analysis is a food web modeling study drawing on existing ecological data across three U.S. Atlantic sites, comparing pre-construction conditions with those roughly four years after construction. Data on microorganisms and organic matter recycling remain insufficient, leaving parts of the modeled food web uncertain.

The players

Kim Lato

Lead author of the study modeling offshore wind effects on marine food webs, published in Scientific Reports.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

State agency that funds the Projecting the Effects of Offshore Wind-Mediated Benthic Changes on U.S. Marine Ecosystems project.

The details

The team, working within the BRI project Projecting the Effects of Offshore Wind-Mediated Benthic Changes on U.S. Marine Ecosystems, found that bivalves such as mussels were especially influential among organisms associated with turbine structures. Turbine foundations act as artificial reefs that create habitat for mussels, barnacles, and other invertebrates, and the study is the first publication from the project, funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

• Approximately four years after construction: post-construction conditions compared against pre-construction models
• Study coverage published November 6, 2026

Seasonal Patterns

As the first publication from the BRI Projecting the Effects of Offshore Wind-Mediated Benthic Changes on U.S. Marine Ecosystems project, the study supplies the initial food web models against which later benthic monitoring will be compared. Its finding that mussels and sediment-dwelling invertebrates dominate turbine-linked food web dynamics extends that project's early baseline.

Offshore wind development may change which marine species dominate seabed habitats near turbine foundations, which could affect commercial and recreational fisheries over time. Atlantic coastal communities and anglers may see shifts in the abundance of mussels and invertebrates as projects mature.

The takeaway

Offshore wind foundations act as artificial reefs that reshape seabed food webs, so monitoring invertebrate and mussel populations will be central to understanding long-term ecological effects. The study also flags missing data on microbial processes that future research must address.