Impact of Offshore Wind Farm Development on Coastal Marine Ecosystems: A Review and Nigerian Applicability Assessment

Offshore wind energy is being promoted globally as a critical pathway to decarbonisation of national electricity systems, and Nigeria's Atlantic coastline possesses theoretical offshore wind resources that have attracted policy interest. However, the ecological consequences of offshore wind farm development for coastal marine ecosystems require rigorous evaluation before investment commitments are made. This study conducts a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature from 2018 to 2024 on the ecological impacts of offshore wind farms in comparable tropical and sub-tropical shallow shelf environments, synthesising evidence on impacts to benthic communities, fish assemblages, seabird populations, marine mammals, and oceanographic processes (turbulence, sediment resuspension). Findings from the review are applied to a Nigerian context through a structured expert elicitation exercise with 20 Nigerian and international marine ecologists, oceanographers, and energy policy specialists. Expert judgement is combined with available environmental baseline data for the Nigerian continental shelf (water depth distribution, seabed habitats, fish spawning grounds, migratory bird routes) to produce a spatial suitability map for offshore wind development that minimises ecological impact. An environmental impact assessment scoping checklist tailored to Nigerian conditions and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency regulatory framework is developed as a practical output. The study recommends priority ecological survey requirements and minimum exclusion distances from critical habitats for future offshore wind environmental assessments. Keywords: offshore wind farms, marine ecosystem impacts, Nigeria, systematic review, environmental suitability