At the 17th Ronald C. Baird Sea Grant Science Symposium Session #3: Sediment and Sound, Monique LaFrance Bartley (Marine Ecologist, National Park Service in the Ocean and Coastal Resources Branch) explains whether or not mussels have the potential to damage offshore wind turbine foundations.

Upon reviewing the study set out to monitor changes within the benthic environment surrounding the Block Island Wind Farm, LaFrance notes that there has been an increase in epifauna (organisms attached to a surface i.e. the turbine structures), specifically mussels. She explains that a preliminary study was conducted to assess this concern. The preliminary results indicate that the additional weight and drag on the structures due to epifaunal species do not adversely affect the structural integrity of the turbine structures. 

The Year 3 project report (a part of the larger study) can be found here.