Geoscience and habitat mapping for marine renewable energy : introduction to the special issue

Many governments have recognised the need to utilise a blend of conventional and alternative energy sources to meet future energy demands, with an increasing focus upon producing clean and renewable energy, as well as investigating the offshore geological storage of carbon dioxide. The marine environment is likely to make a significant contribution to securing the future energy needs of many countries. Seabed site characterisation constitutes a critical part of the engineering design process; it contributes also to our understanding of the potential environmental impacts of marine energy generation and carbon capture and storage. Significant infrastructure is required also to support these emerging industries, including cables and pipelines to transfer energy and carbon dioxide across the seafloor: all of these add to the environmental footprint of renewable energy development. Consequently, the development of standards and best practices, for site and submarine transmission corridor characterisation and environmental impact assessment, are important requirements in developing national and international strategies to the transition to a world of lower carbon emissions.