Research and analysis

UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment: research

Final reports for research projects commissioned as part of the UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment programme.

• From: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Published: 10 February 2017
• Last updated: 22 September 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 22 September 2026

     Uploaded research reports, Carter & Russell (2026) Southeast England Harbour Seal Decline: Investigating the Role of Natural and Anthropogenic Factors and, Wood et al (2020) Representative UKCS Seismic Survey Modelling

  2. 19 January 2026

     Uploaded NPL 2025 report on the characterisation of acoustic fields generated by explosives: quarry trial of application of noise abatement technology.

  3. 4 March 2025

     Upload of the Fugro 2023 report on levels of contaminants in sediment and water following UXO disposal, and the Russel & Moss 2023 report on the dispersal and survival of grey seal pups

  4. 26 September 2024

     Addition of research report, O'Hanlon et al 2024, Trial of the use of silicone cord leg-loop harnesses on Black-legged Kittiwake during the 2023 breeding season

  5. 13 November 2023

     Addition of the report, Lacey & Hammond (2023) Distribution and abundance of beaked whales and other deep-diving cetaceans in European Atlantic waters.

  6. 2 October 2023

     Addition of two NPL reports on the characterisation of acoustic fields from UXO removal

  7. 16 January 2023

     Addition of, Blake S, Moran C, Perry J and Phillips C (2022). Use of chemicals in Offshore Wind Farm Construction and Operation.

  8. 11 February 2021

     non-significant update to the SMRU report, Habitat-based predictions of at-sea distribution for grey and harbour seals in the British Isles, with additional notes relating to Figures 6 and 7

  9. 27 January 2021

     Publication of the NPL report, Protocol for In-Situ Underwater Measurement of Explosive Ordnance Disposal for UXO, and the SMRU report, Habitat-based predictions of at-sea distribution for grey and harbour seals in the British Isles

  10. 15 July 2020

      Addition of the BTO report on the tracking of migratory Shelduck movements to inform understanding of offshore wind farm interactions

  11. 22 June 2020

      Addition of the NPL report, Characterisation of Acoustic Fields Generated by UXO Removal

  12. 9 April 2020

      Update to the White Consultants 2020 Seascape and visual buffer study: change to document cover style only.

  13. 2 April 2020

      Addition of White Consultants 2020 Seascape and visual buffer study for offshore wind farms

  14. 9 March 2020

      Addition of SMRU 2019 Aerial survey data for monitoring harbour porpoise population health

  15. 23 August 2019

      Addition of BTO 2019 review of the migratory movements of Shelduck

  16. 18 June 2019

      Addition of BTO 2019 report on the potential of seabird colony monitoring to inform monitoring programmes for consented offshore wind farms

  17. 10 February 2017

      First published.

Documents

Southeast England Harbour Seal Decline: Investigating the Role of Natural and Anthropogenic Factors

PDF, 3.45 MB, 45 pages

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Characterisation of acoustic fields generated by explosives - Quarry trial of application of noise abatement technology

PDF, 5.25 MB, 29 pages

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Assessment of the levels of contaminants in sediment and water following UXO disposal

PDF, 1.01 MB, 23 pages

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Estimating dispersal and survival of grey seal pups

PDF, 475 KB, 13 pages

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Trial of the use of silicone cord leg-loop harnesses on Black-legged Kittiwake during the 2023 breeding season

PDF, 1.16 MB, 21 pages

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Distribution and abundance of beaked whales and other deep-diving cetaceans in European Atlantic waters

PDF, 3.14 MB, 58 pages

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Characterisation of Acoustic Fields Generated by UXO Removal: Phase 5 Quarry Trials of Bubble Curtain Mitigation

PDF, 2.6 MB, 30 pages

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Characterisation of Acoustic Fields Generated by UXO Removal: Phase 5 Quarry Trials of ECS Low-Order Technology

PDF, 3.83 MB, 34 pages

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Use of Chemicals in Offshore Wind Farm Construction and Operation

PDF, 963 KB, 78 pages

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Habitat-based predictions of at-sea distribution for grey and harbour seals in the British Isles

PDF, 4.86 MB, 74 pages

Protocol for In-Situ Underwater Measurement of Explosive Ordnance Disposal for UXO

PDF, 1.16 MB, 31 pages

Pilot Tracking Study of Migratory Movements of Shelduck to Inform Understanding of Potential Interactions with Offshore Wind Farms in the North Sea

PDF, 5.08 MB, 54 pages

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Characterisation of acoustic fields generated by UXO removal: Phase 2

PDF, 3.59 MB, 62 pages

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Review and update of seascape and visual buffer study for offshore wind farms

PDF, 23.8 MB, 264 pages

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Aerial survey data for monitoring harbour porpoise population health

PDF, 3.97 MB, 66 pages

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Review of the migratory movements of Shelduck to inform understanding of potential interactions with offshore wind farms in the southern North Sea

PDF, 3.22 MB, 45 pages

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Review of the potential of seabird colony monitoring to inform monitoring programmes for consented offshore wind farm projects

PDF, 4.08 MB, 163 pages

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Satellite-tracking of Bewick’s swan migration in relation to offshore and onshore wind farm sites: final report

PDF, 6.49 MB, 59 pages

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Measuring the Interaction Between Marine Features of Special Protection Areas with Offshore Wind Farm Development Sites Through Telemetry: Final Report

PDF, 4.42 MB, 183 pages

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Measuring the Interaction Between Marine Features of Special Protection Areas with Offshore Wind Farm Development Sites Through Telemetry: Third Year Report

PDF, 2.39 MB, 42 pages

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Activity budgets: analysis of seal behaviour at sea

PDF, 1.84 MB, 21 pages

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Updated grey seal usage maps in the North Sea

PDF, 1.51 MB, 15 pages

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Updated grey seal usage maps in the North Sea - GIS shape files

ZIP, 2.47 MB

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Movements of grey seal that haul out on the UK coast of the southern North Sea

PDF, 1.2 MB, 18 pages

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Suspended sediment climatologies around the UK

PDF, 6.2 MB, 40 pages

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Details

The Department has maintained an active SEA research programme; identifying information gaps (some of which are outlined in previous SEA Recommendations) and commissioning new research where appropriate. This has been part of the Department’s offshore SEA programme since 1999.

Completed studies relating to earlier SEAs are located on the British Geological Survey (BGS) SEA archive.