It’s for the birds — but also the bats. And the wind turbines.
In 2009, because of the potential effects wind turbines may have on birds and bats, Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo partnered for a Coastal Ohio Wind Project study of birds and bats that migrate to Lake Erie. The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and focuses on species that migrate at night.
Birds can die if they run into turbines while bats can hemorrhage because of the low air pressure created by wind turbines, said BGSU biologist Jeremy Ross. Ross is spearheading the nature side of the study while Mohsin Jamali, UT professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and his team of students offer technological support on the project and help analyze data.
“The conflict arises because while Lake Erie has strong, stable winds, it’s also known as a major migratory stopping point,” Ross said. “The potential threats [birds and bats] face during migration are the biggest threats they face during their lives.”
The project’s objective is to collect data and provide information to policymakers, Jamali said.
“We’re very excited about this project and happy to be able to shed light on the interactions of birds, bats and wind turbines and develop public policy where [turbines] should be placed and not be placed,” Jamali said.
Ross said Northwest Ohio draws tourists who come just to view the migration of songbirds. These tourists account for more than $26 million in the northern Ohio economy.
Although there are no industrial-scale development plans in place, there have been proposals for wind turbines on the lake, Ross said. He added that the study should make policymakers aware of birds’ and bats’ patterns and allow the government and developers to mitigate the impact of wind turbines on the species.
Ross began studying the potential effects of wind turbines on birds and bats in 2007, specifically focusing on the wind turbines at BGSU’s Firelands campus before shifting his focus to the lake. UT came on board two years later, after BGSU approached the institution.
From mid-April to the end of May and from mid-August to the end of October, Ross deploys the study’s equipment at a spot on the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge shoreline. He starts a little before sunset and ends before dawn.
The study uses acoustic recordings, which allow the team to determine which species and how many are present based on their sounds, radar to determine the velocity and ascent and descent rates and thermal cameras to determine coordinates.
Jamali said the UT-developed radar could provide other institutes with a way of creating cheaper radars. His radar costs $100,000 compared to the $200,000-$500,000 commercial radars typically cost.
Since public institutes publish their work, other research teams could potentially recreate the radar based on UT’s articles.
Jamali said he hopes to keep the team, which also includes BGSU faculty members Joe Firazado and Vern Bingman and BGSU faculty member and principal investigator Peter Gorsevski, together for a new study.
The UT professor plans to travel to Memphis, Tenn., in August to attend a meeting and look for potential funding for the new project seeking to prevent birds and bats from colliding with planes.
However, the team also wants to extend funding for its current project, which is set to end Nov. 30. If the project continues, Ross believes the team could set up multiple research spots on the lake and even become a leader in the field.
Ross also praised Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who got the ball rolling on the project.
“This project really owes a lot to Marcy Kaptur. She spearheaded this effort,” he said.
