synthesis essay on wind farms

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The Evolution of Wind Farms

Categories: Wind Energy

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Published: Feb 7, 2024

Words: 600 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Introduction, history of wind farms, environmental benefits of wind farms, economic benefits of wind farms, challenges facing wind farms, technological advances in wind farm industry, future of wind farms.

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How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay + Example

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AP English Language and Composition, commonly known as AP Lang, is one of the most engaging and popular AP classes offered at most high schools, with over 535,000 students taking the class . AP Lang tests your ability to analyze written pieces, synthesize information, write rhetorical essays, and create cohesive and concrete arguments. However, the class is rather challenging as only 62% of students were able to score a three or higher on the exam.

The AP Lang exam has two sections. The first consists of 45 multiple choice questions which need to be completed in an hour. This portion counts for around 45% of your total score. These questions ask students to analyze written pieces and answer questions related to each respective passage. All possible answer choices can be found within the text, and no prior knowledge of literature is needed to understand the passages.

The second section contains three free-response questions to be finished in under two hours and 15 minutes. This section counts for 55% of your score and includes the synthesis essay, the rhetorical essay, and the argumentative essay.

The synthesis essay requires you to read 6-7 sources and create an argument using at least three sources.
The rhetorical analysis essay requires you to describe how a piece of writing evokes specific meanings and symbolism.
The argumentative essay requires you to pick a perspective of a debate and create an argument based on the evidence provided.

In this post, we will take a look at the AP Lang synthesis essay and discuss tips and tricks to master this part of the exam. We will also provide an example of a well-written essay for review.

The AP Lang synthesis essay is the first of three essays included in the Free Response section of the AP Lang exam. The exam presents 6-7 sources that are organized around a specific topic, with two of those sources purely visual, including a single quantitative source (like a graph or pie chart). The remaining 4-5 sources are text-based, containing around 500 words each. It’s recommended that students spend an hour on this essay—15 minute reading period, 40 minutes writing, and 5 minutes of spare time to check over work.

Each synthesis essay has a topic that all the sources will relate to. A prompt will explaining the topic and provide some background, although the topics are usually broad so you will probably know something related to the issue. It will also present a claim that students will respond to in an essay format using information from at least three of the provided sources. You will need to take a stance, either agreeing or disagreeing with the position provided in the claim.

According to the CollegeBoard, they are looking for essays that “combine different perspectives from sources to form a support of a coherent position.” This means that you must state your claim on the topic and highlight relationships between several sources that support your specific position on the topic. Additionally, you’ll need to cite clear evidence from your sources to prove your point.

The synthesis essay counts for six points on the AP Lang exam. Students can receive 0-1 points for writing a thesis statement, 0-4 based on the incorporation of evidence and commentary, and 0-1 points based on the sophistication of thought and demonstration of complex understanding.

While this essay seems extremely overwhelming, considering there are a total of three free-response essays to complete, with proper time management and practiced skills, this essay is manageable and straightforward. In order to enhance the time management aspect of the test to the best of your ability, it is essential to divide the essay up into five key steps.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

As soon as the clock starts, carefully read and analyze what the prompt asks from you. It might be helpful to markup the text to identify the most critical details. You should only spend around 2 minutes reading the prompt so you have enough time to read all the sources and figure out your argument. Don’t feel like you need to immediately pick your stance on the claim right after reading the prompt. You should read the sources before you commit to your argument.

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

Although you are only required to use 3 of the 6-7 sources provides, make sure you read ALL of the sources. This will allow you to better understand the topic and make the most educated decision of which sources to use in your essay. Since there are a lot of sources to get through, you will need to read quickly and carefully.

Annotating will be your best friend during the reading period. Highlight and mark important concepts or lines from each passage that would be helpful in your essay. Your argument will probably begin forming in your head as you go through the passages, so you will save yourself a lot of time later on if you take a few seconds to write down notes in the margins. After you’ve finished reading a source, reflect on whether the source defends, challenges, or qualifies your argument.

You will have around 13 minutes to read through all the sources, but it’s very possible you will finish earlier if you are a fast reader. Take the leftover time to start developing your thesis and organizing your thoughts into an outline so you have more time to write.

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

In order to write a good thesis statement, all you have to do is decide your stance on the claim provided in the prompt and give an overview of your evidence. You essentially have three choices on how to frame your thesis statement: You can defend, challenge or qualify a claim that’s been provided by the prompt.

If you are defending the claim, your job will be to prove that the claim is correct .
If you are challenging the claim, your job will be to prove that the claim is incorrect .
If you choose to qualify the claim, your job will be to agree to a part of the claim and disagree with another part of the claim.

A strong thesis statement will clearly state your stance without summarizing the issue or regurgitating the claim. The CollegeBoard is looking for a thesis statement that “states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning on the issue provided in the prompt.”

Step 4: Create a Minimal Essay Outline

Developing an outline might seem like a waste of time when you are up against the clock, but believe us, taking 5-10 minutes to outline your essay will be much more useful in the long run than jumping right into the essay.

Your outline should include your thesis statement and three main pieces of evidence that will constitute each body paragraph. Under each piece of evidence should be 2-3 details from the sources that you will use to back up your claim and some commentary on how that evidence proves your thesis.

Step 5: Write your Essay

Use the remaining 30-35 minutes to write your essay. This should be relatively easy if you took the time to mark up the sources and have a detailed outline. Remember to add special consideration and emphasis to the commentary sections of the supporting arguments outlined in your thesis. These sentences are critical to the overall flow of the essay and where you will be explaining how the evidence supports or undermines the claim in the prompt.

Also, when referencing your sources, write the in-text citations as follows: “Source 1,” “Source 2,” “Source 3,” etc. Make sure to pay attention to which source is which in order to not incorrectly cite your sources. In-text citations will impact your score on the essay and are an integral part of the process.

After you finish writing, read through your essay for any grammatical errors or mistakes before you move onto the next essay.

Here are six must-have tips and tricks to get a good score on the synthesis essay:

Cite at least four sources , even though the minimum requirement is three. Remember not to plagiarize and cite everything you use in your arguments.
Make sure to develop a solid and clear thesis . Develop a stable stance for the claim and stick with it throughout the entire paper.
Don’t summarize the sources. The summary of the sources does not count as an argument.
You don’t necessarily have to agree with the sources in order to cite them. Using a source to support a counterargument is still a good use of a source.
Cite the sources that you understand entirely . If you don’t, it could come back to bite you in the end.
Use small quotes , do not quote entire paragraphs. Make sure the quote does not disrupt the flow or grammar of the sentence you write.

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Here is an example prompt and essay from 2019 that received 5 of the 6 total points available:

In response to our society’s increasing demand for energy, large-scale wind power has drawn attention from governments and consumers as a potential alternative to traditional materials that fuel our power grids, such as coal, oil, natural gas, water, or even newer sources such as nuclear or solar power. Yet the establishment of large-scale, commercial-grade wind farms is often the subject of controversy for a variety of reasons.

Carefully read the six sources, found on the AP English Language and Composition 2019 Exam (Question 1), including the introductory information for each source. Write an essay that synthesizes material from at least three of the sources and develops your position on the most important factors that an individual or agency should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm.

Source A (photo)

Source B (Layton)

Source C (Seltenrich)

Source D (Brown)

Source E (Rule)

Source F (Molla)

In your response you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a thesis presents a defensible position.
Select and use evidence from at least 3 of the provided sources to support your line of reasoning. Indicate clearly the sources used through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Sources may be cited as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the description in parentheses.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

[1] The situation has been known for years, and still very little is being done: alternative power is the only way to reliably power the changing world. The draw of power coming from industry and private life is overwhelming current sources of non-renewable power, and with dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, it is merely a matter of time before coal and gas fuel plants are no longer in operation. So one viable alternative is wind power. But as with all things, there are pros and cons. The main factors for power companies to consider when building wind farms are environmental boon, aesthetic, and economic factors.

[2] The environmental benefits of using wind power are well-known and proven. Wind power is, as qualified by Source B, undeniably clean and renewable. From their production requiring very little in the way of dangerous materials to their lack of fuel, besides that which occurs naturally, wind power is by far one of the least environmentally impactful sources of power available. In addition, wind power by way of gearbox and advanced blade materials, has the highest percentage of energy retention. According to Source F, wind power retains 1,164% of the energy put into the system – meaning that it increases the energy converted from fuel (wind) to electricity 10 times! No other method of electricity production is even half that efficient. The efficiency and clean nature of wind power are important to consider, especially because they contribute back to power companies economically.

[3] Economically, wind power is both a boon and a bone to electric companies and other users. For consumers, wind power is very cheap, leading to lower bills than from any other source. Consumers also get an indirect reimbursement by way of taxes (Source D). In one Texan town, McCamey, tax revenue increased 30% from a wind farm being erected in the town. This helps to finance improvements to the town. But, there is no doubt that wind power is also hurting the power companies. Although, as renewable power goes, wind is incredibly cheap, it is still significantly more expensive than fossil fuels. So, while it is helping to cut down on emissions, it costs electric companies more than traditional fossil fuel plants. While the general economic trend is positive, there are some setbacks which must be overcome before wind power can take over as truly more effective than fossil fuels.

[4] Aesthetics may be the greatest setback for power companies. Although there may be significant economic and environmental benefit to wind power, people will always fight to preserve pure, unspoiled land. Unfortunately, not much can be done to improve the visual aesthetics of the turbines. White paint is the most common choice because it “[is] associated with cleanliness.” (Source E). But, this can make it stand out like a sore thumb, and make the gargantuan machines seem more out of place. The site can also not be altered because it affects generating capacity. Sound is almost worse of a concern because it interrupts personal productivity by interrupting people’s sleep patterns. One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support.

[5] As with most things, wind power has no easy answer. It is the responsibility of the companies building them to weigh the benefits and the consequences. But, by balancing economics, efficiency, and aesthetics, power companies can create a solution which balances human impact with environmental preservation.

More examples can be found here at College Board.

While AP Scores help to boost your weighted GPA, or give you the option to get college credit, AP Scores don’t have a strong effect on your admissions chances . However, colleges can still see your self-reported scores, so you might not want to automatically send scores to colleges if they are lower than a 3. That being said, admissions officers care far more about your grade in an AP class than your score on the exam.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a perfect synthesis essay for the ap language exam.

Advanced Placement (AP)

If you're planning to take the AP Language (or AP Lang) exam , you might already know that 55% of your overall exam score will be based on three essays. The first of the three essays you'll have to write on the AP Language exam is called the "synthesis essay." If you want to earn full points on this portion of the AP Lang Exam, you need to know what a synthesis essay is and what skills are assessed by the AP Lang synthesis essay.

In this article, we'll explain the different aspects of the AP Lang synthesis essay, including what skills you need to demonstrate in your synthesis essay response in order to achieve a good score. We'll also give you a full breakdown of a real AP Lang Synthesis Essay prompt, provide an analysis of an AP Lang synthesis essay example, and give you four tips for how to write a synthesis essay.

Let's get started by taking a closer look at how the AP Lang synthesis essay works!

Synthesis Essay AP Lang: What It Is and How It Works

The AP Lang synthesis essay is the first of three essays included in the Free Response section of the AP Lang exam.

The AP Lang synthesis essay portion of the Free Response section lasts for one hour total . This hour consists of a recommended 15 minute reading period and a 40 minute writing period. Keep in mind that these time allotments are merely recommendations, and that exam takers can parse out the allotted 60 minutes to complete the synthesis essay however they choose.

Now, here's what the structure of the AP Lang synthesis essay looks like. The exam presents six to seven sources that are organized around a specific topic (like alternative energy or eminent domain, which are both past synthesis exam topics).

Of these six to seven sources, at least two are visual , including at least one quantitative source (like a graph or pie chart, for example). The remaining four to five sources are print text-based, and each one contains approximately 500 words.

In addition to six to seven sources, the AP Lang exam provides a written prompt that consists of three paragraphs. The prompt will briefly explain the essay topic, then present a claim that students will respond to in an essay that synthesizes material from at least three of the sources provided.

Here's an example prompt provided by the College Board:

Directions : The following prompt is based on the accompanying six sources.

This question requires you to integrate a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. Refer to the sources to support your position; avoid mere paraphrase or summary. Your argument should be central; the sources should support this argument .

Remember to attribute both direct and indirect citations.

Introduction

Television has been influential in United States presidential elections since the 1960's. But just what is this influence, and how has it affected who is elected? Has it made elections fairer and more accessible, or has it moved candidates from pursuing issues to pursuing image?

Read the following sources (including any introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections.

Refer to the sources as Source A, Source B, etc.; titles are included for your convenience.

Source A (Campbell) Source B (Hart and Triece) Source C (Menand) Source D (Chart) Source E (Ranney) Source F (Koppel)

Like we mentioned earlier, this prompt gives you a topic — which it briefly explains — then asks you to take a position. In this case, you'll have to choose a stance on whether television has positively or negatively affected U.S. elections. You're also given six sources to evaluate and use in your response. Now that you have everything you need, now your job is to write an amazing synthesis essay.

But what does "synthesize" mean, exactly? According to the CollegeBoard, when an essay prompt asks you to synthesize, it means that you should "combine different perspectives from sources to form a support of a coherent position" in writing. In other words, a synthesis essay asks you to state your claim on a topic, then highlight the relationships between several sources that support your claim on that topic. Additionally, you'll need to cite specific evidence from your sources to prove your point.

The synthesis essay counts for six of the total points on the AP Lang exam . Students can receive 0-1 points for writing a thesis statement in the essay, 0-4 based on incorporation of evidence and commentary, and 0-1 points based on sophistication of thought and demonstrated complex understanding of the topic.

You'll be evaluated based on how effectively you do the following in your AP Lang synthesis essay:

Write a thesis that responds to the exam prompt with a defensible position

Provide specific evidence that to support all claims in your line of reasoning from at least three of the sources provided, and clearly and consistently explain how the evidence you include supports your line of reasoning

Demonstrate sophistication of thought by either crafting a thoughtful argument, situating the argument in a broader context, explaining the limitations of an argument

Make rhetorical choices that strengthen your argument and/or employ a vivid and persuasive style throughout your essay.

If your synthesis essay meets the criteria above, then there's a good chance you'll score well on this portion of the AP Lang exam!

If you're looking for even more information on scoring, the College Board has posted the AP Lang Free Response grading rubric on its website. ( You can find it here. ) We recommend taking a close look at it since it includes additional details about the synthesis essay scoring.

Don't be intimidated...we're going to teach you how to break down even the hardest AP synthesis essay prompt.

Full Breakdown of a Real AP Lang Synthesis Essay Prompt

In this section, we'll teach you how to analyze and respond to a synthesis essay prompt in five easy steps, including suggested time frames for each step of the process.

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

The very first thing to do when the clock starts running is read and analyze the prompt. To demonstrate how to do this, we'll look at the sample AP Lang synthesis essay prompt below. This prompt comes straight from the 2018 AP Lang exam:

Eminent domain is the power governments have to acquire property from private owners for public use. The rationale behind eminent domain is that governments have greater legal authority over lands within their dominion than do private owners. Eminent domain has been instituted in one way or another throughout the world for hundreds of years.

Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize material from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies the notion that eminent domain is productive and beneficial.

Your argument should be the focus of your essay. Use the sources to develop your argument and explain the reasoning for it. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. You may cite the sources as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the descriptions in parentheses.

On first read, you might be nervous about how to answer this prompt...especially if you don't know what eminent domain is! But if you break the prompt down into chunks, you'll be able to figure out what the prompt is asking you to do in no time flat.

To get a full understanding of what this prompt wants you to do, you need to identify the most important details in this prompt, paragraph by paragraph. Here's what each paragraph is asking you to do:

Paragraph 1: The prompt presents and briefly explains the topic that you'll be writing your synthesis essay about. That topic is the concept of eminent domain.
Paragraph 2: The prompt presents a specific claim about the concept of eminent domain in this paragraph: Eminent domain is productive and beneficial. This paragraph instructs you to decide whether you want to defend, challenge, or qualify that claim in your synthesis essay , and use material from at least three of the sources provided in order to do so.
Paragraph 3: In the last paragraph of the prompt, the exam gives you clear instructions about how to approach writing your synthesis essay . First, make your argument the focus of the essay. Second, use material from at least three of the sources to develop and explain your argument. Third, provide commentary on the material you include, and provide proper citations when you incorporate quotations, paraphrases, or summaries from the sources provided.

So basically, you'll have to agree with, disagree with, or qualify the claim stated in the prompt, then use at least three sources substantiate your answer. Since you probably don't know much about eminent domain, you'll probably decide on your position after you read the provided sources.

To make good use of your time on the exam, you should spend around 2 minutes reading the prompt and making note of what it's asking you to do. That will leave you plenty of time to read the sources provided, which is the next step to writing a synthesis essay.

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

After you closely read the prompt and make note of the most important details, you need to read all of the sources provided. It's tempting to skip one or two sources to save time--but we recommend you don't do this. That's because you'll need a thorough understanding of the topic before you can accurately address the prompt!

For the sample exam prompt included above, there are six sources provided. We're not going to include all of the sources in this article, but you can view the six sources from this question on the 2018 AP Lang exam here . The sources include five print-text sources and one visual source, which is a cartoon.

As you read the sources, it's important to read quickly and carefully. Don't rush! Keep your pencil in hand to quickly mark important passages that you might want to use as evidence in your synthesis. While you're reading the sources and marking passages, you want to think about how the information you're reading influences your stance on the issue (in this case, eminent domain).

When you finish reading, take a few seconds to summarize, in a phrase or sentence, whether the source defends, challenges, or qualifies whether eminent domain is beneficial (which is the claim in the prompt) . Though it might not feel like you have time for this, it's important to give yourself these notes about each source so you know how you can use each one as evidence in your essay.

Here's what we mean: say you want to challenge the idea that eminent domain is useful. If you've jotted down notes about each source and what it's saying, it will be easier for you to pull the relevant information into your outline and your essay.

So how much time should you spend reading the provided sources? The AP Lang exam recommends taking 15 minutes to read the sources . If you spend around two of those minutes reading and breaking down the essay prompt, it makes sense to spend the remaining 13 minutes reading and annotating the sources.

If you finish reading and annotating early, you can always move on to drafting your synthesis essay. But make sure you're taking your time and reading carefully! It's better to use a little extra time reading and understanding the sources now so that you don't have to go back and re-read the sources later.

A strong thesis will do a lot of heavy lifting in your essay. (See what we did there?)

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

After you've analyzed the prompt and thoroughly read the sources, the next thing you need to do in order to write a good synthesis essay is write a strong thesis statement .

The great news about writing a thesis statement for this synthesis essay is that you have all the tools you need to do it at your fingertips. All you have to do in order to write your thesis statement is decide what your stance is in relationship to the topic provided.

In the example prompt provided earlier, you're essentially given three choices for how to frame your thesis statement: you can either defend, challenge, or qualify a claim that's been provided by the prompt, that eminent domain is productive and beneficial . Here's what that means for each option:

If you choose to defend the claim, your job will be to prove that the claim is correct . In this case, you'll have to show that eminent domain is a good thing.

If you choose to challenge the claim, you'll argue that the claim is incorrect. In other words, you'll argue that eminent domain isn't productive or beneficial.

If you choose to qualify, that means you'll agree with part of the claim, but disagree with another part of the claim. For instance, you may argue that eminent domain can be a productive tool for governments, but it's not beneficial for property owners. Or maybe you argue that eminent domain is useful in certain circumstances, but not in others.

When you decide whether you want your synthesis essay to defend, challenge, or qualify that claim, you need to convey that stance clearly in your thesis statement. You want to avoid simply restating the claim provided in the prompt, summarizing the issue without making a coherent claim, or writing a thesis that doesn't respond to the prompt.

Here's an example of a thesis statement that received full points on the eminent domain synthesis essay:

Although eminent domain can be misused to benefit private interests at the expense of citizens, it is a vital tool of any government that intends to have any influence on the land it governs beyond that of written law.

This thesis statement received full points because it states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning on the issue of eminent domain. It states the author's position (that some parts of eminent domain are good, but others are bad), then goes on to explain why the author thinks that (it's good because it allows the government to do its job, but it's bad because the government can misuse its power.)

Because this example thesis statement states a defensible position and establishes a line of reasoning, it can be elaborated upon in the body of the essay through sub-claims, supporting evidence, and commentary. And a solid argument is key to getting a six on your synthesis essay for AP Lang!

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Step 4: Create a Bare-Bones Essay Outline

Once you've got your thesis statement drafted, you have the foundation you need to develop a bare bones outline for your synthesis essay. Developing an outline might seem like it's a waste of your precious time, but if you develop your outline well, it will actually save you time when you start writing your essay.

With that in mind, we recommend spending 5 to 10 minutes outlining your synthesis essay . If you use a bare-bones outline like the one below, labeling each piece of content that you need to include in your essay draft, you should be able to develop out the most important pieces of the synthesis before you even draft the actual essay.

To help you see how this can work on test day, we've created a sample outline for you. You can even memorize this outline to help you out on test day! In the outline below, you'll find places to fill in a thesis statement, body paragraph topic sentences, evidence from the sources provided, and commentary :

Present the context surrounding the essay topic in a couple of sentences (this is a good place to use what you learned about the major opinions or controversies about the topic from reading your sources).
Write a straightforward, clear, and concise thesis statement that presents your stance on the topic
Topic sentence presenting first supporting point or claim
Evidence #1
Commentary on Evidence #1
Evidence #2 (if needed)
Commentary on Evidence #2 (if needed)
Topic sentence presenting second supporting point or claim
Topic sentence presenting three supporting point or claim
Sums up the main line of reasoning that you developed and defended throughout the essay
Reiterates the thesis statement

Taking the time to develop these crucial pieces of the synthesis in a bare-bones outline will give you a map for your final essay. Once you have a map, writing the essay will be much easier.

Step 5: Draft Your Essay Response

The great thing about taking a few minutes to develop an outline is that you can develop it out into your essay draft. After you take about 5 to 10 minutes to outline your synthesis essay, you can use the remaining 30 to 35 minutes to draft your essay and review it.

Since you'll outline your essay before you start drafting, writing the essay should be pretty straightforward. You'll already know how many paragraphs you're going to write, what the topic of each paragraph will be, and what quotations, paraphrases, or summaries you're going to include in each paragraph from the sources provided. You'll just have to fill in one of the most important parts of your synthesis—your commentary.

Commentaries are your explanation of why your evidence supports the argument you've outlined in your thesis. Your commentary is where you actually make your argument, which is why it's such a critical part of your synthesis essay.

When thinking about what to say in your commentary, remember one thing the AP Lang synthesis essay prompt specifies: don't just summarize the sources. Instead, as you provide commentary on the evidence you incorporate, you need to explain how that evidence supports or undermines your thesis statement . You should include commentary that offers a thoughtful or novel perspective on the evidence from your sources to develop your argument.

One very important thing to remember as you draft out your essay is to cite your sources. The AP Lang exam synthesis essay prompt indicates that you can use generic labels for the sources provided (e.g. "Source 1," "Source 2," "Source 3," etc.). The exam prompt will indicate which label corresponds with which source, so you'll need to make sure you pay attention and cite sources accurately. You can cite your sources in the sentence where you introduce a quote, summary, or paraphrase, or you can use a parenthetical citation. Citing your sources affects your score on the synthesis essay, so remembering to do this is important.

Keep reading for a real-life example of a great AP synthesis essay response!

Real-Life AP Synthesis Essay Example and Analysis

If you're still wondering how to write a synthesis essay, examples of real essays from past AP Lang exams can make things clearer. These real-life student AP synthesis essay responses can be great for helping you understand how to write a synthesis essay that will knock the graders' socks off .

While there are multiple essay examples online, we've chosen one to take a closer look at. We're going to give you a brief analysis of one of these example student synthesis essays from the 2019 AP Lang Exam below!

Example Synthesis Essay AP Lang Response

To get started, let's look at the official prompt for the 2019 synthesis essay:

In response to our society's increasing demand for energy, large-scale wind power has drawn attention from governments and consumers as a potential alternative to traditional materials that fuel our power grids, such as coal, oil, natural gas, water, or even newer sources such as nuclear or solar power. Yet the establishment of large-scale, commercial-grade wind farms is often the subject of controversy for a variety of reasons.

Source A (photo) Source B (Layton) Source C (Seltenrich) Source D (Brown) Source E (Rule) Source F (Molla)

In your response you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a thesis presents a defensible position.
Select and use evidence from at least 3 of the provided sources to support your line of reasoning. Indicate clearly the sources used through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Sources may be cited as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the description in parentheses.
Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

Now that you know exactly what the prompt asked students to do on the 2019 AP Lang synthesis essay, here's an AP Lang synthesis essay example, written by a real student on the AP Lang exam in 2019:

[4] Aesthetics may be the greatest setback for power companies. Although there may be significant economic and environmental benefit to wind power, people will always fight to preserve pure, unspoiled land. Unfortunately, not much can be done to improve the visual aesthetics of the turbines. White paint is the most common choice because it "[is] associated with cleanliness." (Source E). But, this can make it stand out like a sore thumb, and make the gargantuan machines seem more out of place. The site can also not be altered because it affects generating capacity. Sound is almost worse of a concern because it interrupts personal productivity by interrupting people's sleep patterns. One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support.

And that's an entire AP Lang synthesis essay example, written in response to a real AP Lang exam prompt! It's important to remember AP Lang exam synthesis essay prompts are always similarly structured and worded, and students often respond in around the same number of paragraphs as what you see in the example essay response above.

Next, let's analyze this example essay and talk about what it does effectively, where it could be improved upon, and what score past exam scorers awarded it.

To get started on an analysis of the sample synthesis essay, let's look at the scoring commentary provided by the College Board:

For development of thesis, the essay received 1 out of 1 possible points
For evidence and commentary, the essay received 4 out of 4 possible points
For sophistication of thought, the essay received 0 out of 1 possible points.

This means that the final score for this example essay was a 5 out of 6 possible points . Let's look more closely at the content of the example essay to figure out why it received this score breakdown.

Thesis Development

The thesis statement is one of the three main categories that is taken into consideration when you're awarded points on this portion of the exam. This sample essay received 1 out of 1 total points.

Now, here's why: the thesis statement clearly and concisely conveys a position on the topic presented in the prompt--alternative energy and wind power--and defines the most important factors that power companies should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm.

Evidence and Commentary

The second key category taken into consideration when synthesis exams are evaluated is incorporation of evidence and commentary. This sample received 4 out of 4 possible points for this portion of the synthesis essay. At bare minimum, this sample essay meets the requirement mentioned in the prompt that the writer incorporate evidence from at least three of the sources provided.

On top of that, the writer does a good job of connecting the incorporated evidence back to the claim made in the thesis statement through effective commentary. The commentary in this sample essay is effective because it goes beyond just summarizing what the provided sources say. Instead, it explains and analyzes the evidence presented in the selected sources and connects them back to supporting points the writer makes in each body paragraph.

Finally, the writer of the essay also received points for evidence and commentary because the writer developed and supported a consistent line of reasoning throughout the essay . This line of reasoning is summed up in the fourth paragraph in the following sentence: "One thing for power companies to consider is working with turbine manufacturing to make the machines less aesthetically impactful, so as to garner greater public support."

Because the writer did a good job consistently developing their argument and incorporating evidence, they received full marks in this category. So far, so good!

Sophistication of Thought

Now, we know that this essay received a score of 5 out of 6 total points, and the place where the writer lost a point was on the basis of sophistication of thought, for which the writer received 0 out of 1 points. That's because this sample essay makes several generalizations and vague claims where it could have instead made specific claims that support a more balanced argument.

For example, in the following sentence from the 5th paragraph of the sample essay, the writer misses the opportunity to state specific possibilities that power companies should consider for wind energy . Instead, the writer is ambiguous and non-committal, saying, "As with most things, wind power has no easy answer. It is the responsibility of the companies building them to weigh the benefits and consequences."

If the writer of this essay was interested in trying to get that 6th point on the synthesis essay response, they could consider making more specific claims. For instance, they could state the specific benefits and consequences power companies should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm. These could include things like environmental impacts, economic impacts, or even population density!

Despite losing one point in the last category, this example synthesis essay is a strong one. It's well-developed, thoughtfully written, and advances an argument on the exam topic using evidence and support throughout.

4 Tips for How to Write a Synthesis Essay

AP Lang is a timed exam, so you have to pick and choose what you want to focus on in the limited time you're given to write the synthesis essay. Keep reading to get our expert advice on what you should focus on during your exam.

Tip 1: Read the Prompt First

It may sound obvious, but when you're pressed for time, it's easy to get flustered. Just remember: when it comes time to write the synthesis essay, read the prompt first !

Why is it so important to read the prompt before you read the sources? Because when you're aware of what kind of question you're trying to answer, you'll be able to read the sources more strategically. The prompt will help give you a sense of what claims, points, facts, or opinions to be looking for as you read the sources.

Reading the sources without having read the prompt first is kind of like trying to drive while wearing a blindfold: you can probably do it, but it's likely not going to end well!

Tip 2: Make Notes While You Read

During the 15-minute reading period at the beginning of the synthesis essay, you'll be reading through the sources as quickly as you can. After all, you're probably anxious to start writing!

While it's definitely important to make good use of your time, it's also important to read closely enough that you understand your sources. Careful reading will allow you to identify parts of the sources that will help you support your thesis statement in your essay, too.

As you read the sources, consider marking helpful passages with a star or check mark in the margins of the exam so you know which parts of the text to quickly re-read as you form your synthesis essay. You might also consider summing up the key points or position of each source in a sentence or a few words when you finish reading each source during the reading period. Doing so will help you know where each source stands on the topic given and help you pick the three (or more!) that will bolster your synthesis argument.

Tip 3: Start With the Thesis Statement

If you don't start your synthesis essay with a strong thesis statement, it's going to be tough to write an effective synthesis essay. As soon as you finish reading and annotating the provided sources, the thing you want to do next is write a strong thesis statement.

According to the CollegeBoard grading guidelines for the AP Lang synthesis essay, a strong thesis statement will respond to the prompt— not restate or rephrase the prompt. A good thesis will take a clear, defensible position on the topic presented in the prompt and the sources.

In other words, to write a solid thesis statement to guide the rest of your synthesis essay, you need to think about your position on the topic at hand and then make a claim about the topic based on your position. This position will either be defending, challenging, or qualifying the claim made in the essay's prompt.

The defensible position that you establish in your thesis statement will guide your argument in the rest of the essay, so it's important to do this first. Once you have a strong thesis statement, you can begin outlining your essay.

Tip 4: Focus on Your Commentary

Writing thoughtful, original commentary that explains your argument and your sources is important. In fact, doing this well will earn you four points (out of a total of six)!

AP Lang provides six to seven sources for you on the exam, and you'll be expected to incorporate quotations, paraphrases, or summaries from at least three of those sources into your synthesis essay and interpret that evidence for the reader.

While incorporating evidence is very important, in order to get the extra point for "sophistication of thought" on the synthesis essay, it's important to spend more time thinking about your commentary on the evidence you choose to incorporate. The commentary is your chance to show original thinking, strong rhetorical skills, and clearly explain how the evidence you've included supports the stance you laid out in your thesis statement.

To earn the 6th possible point on the synthesis essay, make sure your commentary demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the source material, explains this nuanced understanding, and places the evidence incorporated from the sources in conversation with each other. To do this, make sure you're avoiding vague language. Be specific when you can, and always tie your commentary back to your thesis!

What's Next?

There's a lot more to the AP Language exam than just the synthesis essay. Be sure to check out our expert guide to the entire exam , then learn more about the tricky multiple choice section .

Is the AP Lang exam hard...or is it easy? See how it stacks up to other AP tests on our list of the hardest AP exams .

Did you know there are technically two English AP exams? You can learn more about the second English AP test, the AP Literature exam, in this article . And if you're confused about whether you should take the AP Lang or AP Lit test , we can help you make that decision, too.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download them for free now:

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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AP ® Lang teachers: looking to help your students improve their rhetorical analysis essays?

Coach Hall Writes

clear, concise rhetorical analysis instruction.

Synthesis Essay Intro

December 14, 2022 by Beth Hall

When students are writing an essay, the introduction sets the tone for the entire paper. Readers will not want to continue if the hook does not draw them in. This is the case for class papers to the big essays on the AP® Lang exam. However, it is incredibly stressful to develop a strong introduction when time goes so quickly. Luckily, this blog post provides provides an overview of how to write a synthesis essay intro paragraph quickly!

More than a Thesis

When it comes to a timed essay, worst case scenario, write a defensible thesis and move on. However, writing a thesis-only introduction can be a bit jarring for your reader. So, if possible, try to write a couple sentences to lead into your synthesis essay thesis.

Definition Sentence

One way to develop your synthesis essay introduction paragraph is to set parameters. This helps narrow down and specify your argument. You can do this in your introduction by actually defining your topic. For instance, if the topic is wind farms, you can define what this means. This is a great way to ensure the reader fully understands the terms within your synthesis essay intro.

Ex: Wind farms, an isolated area containing wind turbines used to generate clean, renewable energy, have become a point of discussion as a means of providing efficient energy without dependence on foreign countries.

Essentially, you start with the topic. In this case, it is wind farms. Then, you put a comma, the definition, and another comma before finishing your sentence. This is a great way to improve your syntax as well!

Provide Context in Your Synthesis Essay Intro

Another example how to start your synthesis essay introduction involves providing a bit of context. For example, ask yourself:

Why are we really talking about this issue in the first place?
Why is this issue relevant?
Why is it a point of conversation in society today?

Even if it is a topic you are unfamiliar with, you can still gather that information from the prompt and sources. Then, add some information to help the reader understand your topic.

Explain Both Sides

Another tip to crafting a quick synthesis essay intro paragraph is to explain both sides of the issue. Now, you can’t end there. You need a defensible thesis. If you do not actually assert a position, you’ve just equivocated, which means you did not take a stance. If you are going to explain both sides, be sure you include a transition word such as “therefore” and establish the position you will argue in your synthesis essay.

The Most Important Part of the Synthesis Essay Intro: The Thesis

After deciding how to start the synthesis essay intro, it is time to move on to the thesis. For most students, this will be the introduction’s last sentence. You will assert a position that you will later prove in your body paragraphs.

Many times, it helps to start your thesis with a dependent clause. This could be words like although, when, and while. This helps make a complex sentence, which tends to read better.

Additionally, students can also use a counter-argument thesis. This shows the other side of the argument but ultimately goes back to your stance.

Here’s an example of a sentence frame you can use: While it may be true that…, one would be remiss not to consider that….

For more introduction tips, watch How to Write an Introductory Paragraph for a Synthesis Essay. It provides excellent insight into crafting the perfect introduction. Then, check out this blog post: How to Outline a Synthesis Essay for AP® Lang . This will help ensure your body paragraphs have good evidence and strong commentary! Since there are so many components to the synthesis essay, check out how to write a synthesis essay conclusion . This will help ensure there is a solid ending to your paper.

Synthesis Essay Intro Example

Want to see the aforementioned tips in action?

Here is a synthesis essay introduction example.

In recent years, the United States’ test scores have declined. In response to this, there has been a push to transform kindergarten into a more academic environment. Skills that were once commonly taught in first grade are now being taught in kindergarten. But at what cost? Increasing the academic rigor in kindergarten has not led to an increase in test scores. If anything, increasing the academic focus has drastically reduced the amount of time for free play. While it is true that students need to learn some fundamental academic skills in kindergarten, the overall focus should be students social and emotional development.

The synthesis essay intro example above provides context for the issue (the focus on test scores) and a defensible thesis to argue that kindergarten should not be transformed into an academic environment.

Here’s another synthesis intro example:

Locavorism, the concept of eating food grown within 100 miles of one’s home, has gained popularity in recent years. Supporting local business is great, and yes, the food is likely to be fresher. However, one cannot ignore that locavorism is, at times, inconvenient and impractical. Therefore, when considering whether to join the locavore movement, one must consider two key factors: location and environmental impact.

The example above combines a couple techniques mentioned earlier in this blog post. First, there is a definition. Remember that you don’t need to define every topic, but in some cases, it can help if done effectively. It also includes a concession and refutation to demonstrate the contrasting views on the topic. Finally, it ends with a defensible thesis.

AP® Lang Teachers

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Article Contents

List of abbreviations, introduction, nature positive approaches in offshore wind development: narrative synthesis and knowledge status, coexistence in the offshore wind industry, useful information from other habitats and aquatic-related business and infrastructures, perspectives, acknowledgement, author contributions, conflict of interest, data availability, a synthesis review of nature positive approaches and coexistence in the offshore wind industry.

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Supplementary Data

Juan Carlos Farias Pardo, Magnus Aune, Christopher Harman, Mats Walday, Solrun Figenschau Skjellum, A synthesis review of nature positive approaches and coexistence in the offshore wind industry, ICES Journal of Marine Science , 2023;, fsad191, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsad191

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Offshore wind is one of the major fast-growing renewable energy industries, and sustainable implementation of offshore wind farms (OWF) is desired. Nature positive approaches have been proposed to promote biodiversity gain and improve ecosystem resilience. At the same time, coexistence has been considered a way to mitigate the race for ocean space and better integrate the development of the OWF industry. Here, we provide a systematic narrative synthesis review on nature positive approaches and coexistence in OWFs. We observed an increased interest in the topics over the last 5 years, with most of the documents coming from the northern hemisphere, in particular Europe and the North Sea. Literature is mostly related to bottom-fixed turbines, with relatively fewer documents available regarding floating offshore wind, which is a nascent industry. There is a lack of long-term in situ assessments of the impact of nature positive approaches. Whilst there are various biodiversity impacts of OWFs, the literature highlights the artificial reef effect and biodiversity protection and gain (diversity and abundance) for ecological and economically relevant groups. Coexistence strategies with OWF, such as fisheries, aquaculture, and marine-protected areas, bring positive and negative outcomes for the environment, and further investigation on their integration should be explored.

Highlights :

Nature positive approaches and terminology in the offshore wind industry were reviewed.

Nature-based solutions and nature-inclusive design can be considered nature positive approaches.

Need for additional data collection, testing and in situ experimentation (long-term).

Literature mostly related to bottom-fixed structures, limited in the nascent floating offshore wind industry.

Offshore wind farms

Nature-based solution

Nature-inclusive design

Marine-protected areas

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Conference of the Parties

The combination of climate change and biodiversity loss is among the greatest challenges ever faced by humankind (Rogers et al. 2020 , Pettorelli et al. 2021 , Habibullah et al. 2022 ). The efforts required to meet the global climate goals of the Paris Agreement should not be underestimated. Focus on achieving both climate and biodiversity goals jointly has in turn increased the interest in sustainable solutions, and recent efforts to implement solutions to contemporary societal challenges are involving the environment (IPBES 2019 , Kousky 2022 ). As highlighted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to promote synergy between the different economic, social, and environmental advances and goals.

A premise to achieving the climate goals is a shift towards renewable energy production, and recent global projections show renewables accounting for 80%–90% of power generation by 2050 (McKinsey 2022 ). Offshore wind power will be a critical component of the renewables mix and already makes a significant contribution in several countries. The scale of ambition for both bottom fixed and floating wind farms is without precedence, with a predicted 316 GW installed globally by 2030 (GWEC—Global Wind Energy Council 2022 ). However, offshore wind requires large areas, which conflict with the needs of other marine users (Christie et al. 2014 ). Indeed, OWFs have been associated with a range of negative impacts on biodiversity; potential impacts are presented in all phases of offshore wind development, including the construction, operational, and decommission phases, due to e.g. changes in the seafloor sediment structure, noise, and vibration, electromagnetism, and others (Snyder and Kaiser 2009 , Bergström et al. 2013 , 2014 , Degraer et al. 2020 , Peschko et al. 2020 , Galparsoro et al. 2022 , Lloret et al. 2022 , Maxwell et al. 2022 , McLean et al. 2022 ). The infrastructure supporting OWFs is substantial and interacts directly with both terrestrial and aquatic environments, causing debates on the trade-offs between environmental impacts and ecosystem diversity, structure, and function (Petersen and Malm 2006 , Popescu et al. 2020 , Daewel et al. 2022 ). Within this context, Bennun et al. (2021 ) provided a comprehensive guideline for project developers during all phases of OWFs development, outlining a mitigation hierarchy that covers avoiding, minimizing, restoring, and, if needed, offsetting biodiversity impacts including potential additional actions.

Due to the tight link between energy and environment, moving towards a nature positive industry has been in the spotlight in recent policy recommendations (Grodsky 2021 , Locke et al. 2021 ). The G7 2030 nature compact agreement aims to halt and reverse biodiversity losses by 2030 aiming for a full recovery and a resilient environment by 2050, having the so-called nature positive approaches as a way to promote these changes. Nature positivity expands on what has been defined as net positive impact and no net loss of biodiversity corporate strategies adding integrated actions across the different dimensions of nature (e.g. climate and biodiversity) and social aspects (zu Ermgassen et al. 2022 ). Nature positive is now a widely used concept, and caution on its application has been pointed out, since efficiently implemented nature positive approaches must show a quantitative overall net gain, according to the most accepted definitions (Bull et al. 2020 , Milner-Gulland 2022 ). However, there is not yet a consensus on the definition of nature positive approaches; here, we have considered natural positive approaches systematical initiatives aiming biodiversity gain and improve ecosystem resilience related to OWFs. Yet, proposed definitions to the broader term nature positive can be classified as conceptual (aspirational, mostly observed in broad, business-related organizations), process-based (operational steps, but with no criteria to successfully implement it), or target/outcome-based (specific biodiversity outputs) (see zu Ermgassen et al. 2022 for a broader review of the term). However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature is currently working on a common methodology to address and measure nature positive outcomes, proposing a definition to avoid potential greenwashing and align interests among companies, governments, and civil society, under a science-based system (see Table 1 for proposed definition) (IUCN 2022 ).

Definition and concepts of the main terms related to nature positive approaches and coexistence. Associated terms used in the study and searches are mentioned in parentheses.

Several major companies and organizations state a goal to be nature positive following available guidelines (“Get Nature Positive”; Get Nature Positive 2022 , Bull et al. 2022 , Finance for Biodiversity 2022 ), and nature positive concepts are also guiding the sustainability goals of the renewable industry (European Environmental Bureau 2022 ). In order to support a sustainable offshore wind industry, nature-based solutions (NbSs) ( Table 1 for definition) are proposed as achieving a nature positive industry (Stephenson et al. 2016 , Lukic et al. 2021 ). The underwater physical structures associated with the turbines offer a substrate for colonization and are thus known to act as artificial reefs, enhance fish and macrofauna diversity, and support other biodiversity-related changes (Reubens et al. 2013 , Coates et al. 2014 , 2016 , Hooper and Austen 2014 , Kramer et al. 2015 , Stenberg et al. 2015 , Krone et al. 2017 , van Hal et al. 2017 ). Nature-inclusive design (NiD) approaches (e.g. stable scour protection design, fish hotels —shelters, reef fields), also called nature-based design, are a type of NbS used to enhance ecological functioning ( Table 1 for definition) (Degraer et al. 2020 , Peschko et al. 2020 , Maxwell et al. 2022 , McLean et al. 2022 ). Nevertheless, the application of NiD on OWFs to achieve nature positive impacts is still in its infancy.

Access to a suitable area is key for most ocean-based industries. Due to the high pressure on land and coastal areas, more activities will move offshore. This global race for space will require solutions that alleviate the spatial conflicts, and marine spatial planning (MSP) ( Table 1 for definition) recommendations for offshore wind consider coexistence with other sectors such as aquaculture and fishing, as well as environmental protection measurements. Some studies highlight that offshore wind farms (OWFs) can also contribute as conservation areas when restricting fisheries (e.g. no-take zones) and support biodiversity gain, although considering as de facto protection areas is a debatable topic in the literature (see the section “Marine protected areas”). In the European Union, policy is pushing the sustainable development of OWF, whilst at the same time suggesting to increase in the number of Marine Protected Areas (Goriup 2017 ). Although commercial multiuse practices may not be considered nature positive approaches per se according to our interpretation of the term, the knowledge involved in the practices can be better interpreted and applied towards a gain in ecosystem functioning. However, data from relevant documents in the field remains sparse and guidance is lacking. In our narrative systematic synthesis review, we aim to (i) evaluate the current knowledge and progress of approaches referred to as nature positive (including meaning and use of the term nature positivity) and coexistence for the offshore wind industry for both fixed and floating structures, and verify (ii) which coexistence strategies and initiatives from other aquatic-related activities and habitats are relevant to the offshore wind industry. In addition, we provide a narrative synthesis of potential nature positive-related effects (e.g. reef effect) and coexistence practices in the offshore wind industry, providing perspectives and future directions, highlighting synergies and potential next steps in the field.

Systematic search strategy

Documents were searched systematically and reported under the preferred practices for systematic reviews proposed by O’Dea et al. (2021 ) [see Figure S1 (Supplemental Material) for the step-by-step searching strategy]. We have selected relevant studies and documents published until September, 2022. We have only included papers (i) exploring nature positive approaches in OWFs (fixed and floating structures), including NbSs (e.g. NiD) and (ii) coexistence related to OWFs, for both fixed and floating structures. Searches were conducted in the Web of Science, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Tethys (Department of Energy, PNNL) databases with the following combination of keywords and strings (adapted to Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Tethys due to the platform searching engines, as detailed in the Supplemental Material ):

First string (nature positive and offshore wind): TS = {[“nature-based solution*” OR “nature-positive solution*” OR (“nature” NEAR/1 “positive” OR “inclusive design” OR “based design” OR “based solution*”)] AND [“offshore wind” OR (“offshore” AND “wind”)]}

Second string (coexistence and offshore wind): TS = [(“multi-use” OR “co-use” OR “co-location” OR “colocation” OR “co-operation” OR “integrated social–ecological assessments” OR “integrated social ecological assessments” OR “multisector planning” OR “integrated management” OR “cross-sectorial use” OR “multiple sector use” OR “multi-sector-use” OR “no-go areas” OR “no-take zones” OR “marine protected area”) AND “offshore wind”].

Whilst the review focused on approaches within the OWFs, knowledge from other aquatic-related activities and infrastructures may complement our understanding of nature positive approaches in estuarine, coastal and marine areas. Offshore wind industry activities impact both land and aquatic areas, where nature positive implies going beyond the impacts of own activities. An additional and broader search was then conducted to extract information on nature positive approaches and related terms (not conducted in Tethys searching engine due to their focus on the offshore wind industry): “Third string: TS = {[“nature-based solution*” OR “nature-positive solution*” OR (“nature” NEAR/1 “positive” OR “inclusive design” OR “based design” OR “based solution*”)] AND (“marine” OR “coast*” OR “estuar*” OR “ocean”)}.”

Relevant documents from the author’s personal archive were included in the list. Searches were followed by checking the studies’ reference list (i.e. backward scanning) for additional missing studies. Search in the relevant languages in terms of number of publications per country was also nonextensively conducted. Reports and commissioned documents from institutes, governmental bodies, renewable energy-related initiatives (i.e. grey literature) on the topic are included, but not conference abstracts and introduction papers to Special Issues. Documents focusing on the negative impacts of OWF on specific group species and environmental assessments were also not included. Studies on general positive biodiversity impact in OWFs without reference to nature positivity (e.g. Coates et al. 2014 , Stenberg et al. 2015 ) were not included in the list but explored throughout the text in the narrative synthesis. The review also focuses on biodiversity-related topics and does not look into social acceptance and factors of OWFs.

A PRISMA diagram is provided for all string searches summarizing the number of documents included and excluded in the identification, screening and eligibility process ( Fig. 1 ). Information (i.e. data) from the selected documents (all three strings) were extracted and summarized in the different criteria and categories ( Table S1, Supplemental Material ). Since we have followed a narrative systematic synthesis review approach, more recent literature is discussed throughout the review, but not included in the systematic search results.

PRISMA diagram and steps followed to include scanned documents in the systematic analysis. All records assessed for eligibility had their full text retrievable. *Documents following our systematic searching strategy criteria.

We have compiled 23 documents exploring nature positive approaches in the offshore wind industry (1st string) ( Fig. 2a ; Table S1, Supplemental Material ). All documents are either peer-reviewed research articles (11) or reports (12), and the majority of studies are from or focused on the Northern Hemisphere, especially Europe and the North Sea, which is a global hotspot for offshore wind. Documents were categorized based on the general terms explored (potentially more than one per document), and NiD was well represented in the first string, followed by nature positive solutions and NbSs within the offshore wind industry ( Fig. 2a ).

Categories of relevant documents related to offshore wind obtained in the first (a) and second (c) string and the total number of documents obtained in both strings, with the year of publication (b) and (d).

Early studies indicated the potential environmental net effect of monopiles without linking it to the term nature positive. More recently, the term has expanded its uses and the positive outcomes of resilience and biodiversity gain have been more extensively explored in the literature. The topic, and related terms including NbSs and NiD, have gained more attention from the early 2000s, and most of the documents found were published in the last 5 years (i.e. 2017–2022; Fig. 2b ).

The (artificial) reef effect

The most comprehensive and described environmental outcome from OWFs is the (artificial) reef effect (Sayer et al. 2005 , Langhamer 2012 , Firth et al. 2016 , Degraer et al. 2020 , Hermans et al. 2020 , Evans et al. 2021 , Komyakova et al. 2022 , Sella et al. 2022 ) (see Table S1, Supplemental Material ). The reef effect is obtained directly from the physical structures and foundations (monopiles, scour protections, moorings, and floaters) associated with OWFs and it is known that the structural complexity, and even the material of the structures, can cause significant changes in species settlement and community composition (Komyakova et al. 2022 ). Concrete foundations, for example, show the higher richness of certain groups of species (e.g. barnacles and tunicates) as compared to steel structures (Andersson et al. 2009 ).

The nature of the interactions between fauna and flora organisms and OWFs differs depending on the species traits (sessile and mobile), life stage (larvae, juvenile, and adult), and habitat (shallow or deep waters and location), as well as the physical extent of the interaction (e.g. single monopile and entire farm area) (De Mesel et al. 2015 , Hammar et al. 2016 ). Offshore wind structures acting as artificial reefs tend to influence biodiversity by increasing the abundance and diversity of certain benthic and pelagic groups (Lengkeek et al. 2017 , Degraer et al. 2020 , Glarou et al. 2020 ), but changes are site-specific and should not be completely generalized (Annelies et al. 2021 ). Communities also change over time, highlighting the need for a good taxonomical understanding of the local communities, communities’ succession stages, and environmental features prior to implementation. Experiments testing succession over long periods are rare. Yet, a 10-year experiment in the North Sea showed significant changes in species composition during the six first years after implementation, thus illustrating the potential of short-term assessments to overlook important stages of colonization and succession (Kerckhof et al. 2019 ).

Long-term assessments are also important to properly monitor the establishment of potential opportunistic invasive species. Offshore wind structures can be used as stepping stones to nonindigenous epifauna and benthic and pelagic larvae and adults from several groups [e.g. barnacles ( Megabalanus coccopoma, Perforatus perforatus , and Austrominius modestus ), limpets ( Crepidula fornicata ), crustaceans (skeleton shrimp— Caprella mutica , and hairy crab— Pilumnus hirtellus for European waters)] (De Mesel et al. 2015 , Lengkeek et al. 2017 ). Three out of the four recommendations from Lengkeek et al. (2017 ) (Lengkeek et al. 2017 ) on how to avoid the establishment of nonindigenous species can be applied for all OWFs: (i) prevent the transportation of living material; (ii) prevent the installation of floating artificial substrates near the coast or in shallow waters; and (iii) use of natural materials such as rocks over artificial resources. A more specific recommendation, which can be used as an example for other shellfish groups, is to avoid the establishment of invasive Pacific oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ), which has invaded large-scale reefs in many locations replacing the native European flat oysters ( Ostrea edulis ) (Lengkeek et al. 2017 ).

NbSs and NiD

Initiatives to enhance ecological functioning with NbSs are regularly described for coastline and estuarine areas (e.g. rocky shores and salt marshes) (Stephenson 2022 ) and, along with fixed oil and gas platforms, form part of the theoretical framework of the knowledge available for application to the offshore wind (see the section ‘Useful information from other habitats and aquatic-related business and infrastructures’). NbSs are often described as an umbrella term where approaches benefit ecosystem services and biodiversity (Stephenson 2022 ). We have obtained just a single document strictly referring to NbSs within OWFs, but some reports and peer-reviewed studies on the implementation and effects of artificial reefs and restoration could be classified as a NbS ( Fig. 2a ; Table S1, Supplemental Material ). As a practical example, the European flat oyster communities were previously extensive biogenic reefs in the North Sea and have been an overexploited resource targeted by trawl fisheries. Several studies have reported their importance as a foundation and ecosystem engineer (i.e. species that directly or indirectly modulate the availability of resources to other species), highlighting potential positive outcomes in restoring these historical oyster settlement areas (Lengkeek et al. 2017 , Kamermans et al. 2018 , Robertson et al. 2021 ).

Nature-inclusive design structures support nature enhancement and resilience between and within offshore wind areas and turbines, both fixed and floating—the latter being much less explored and experimentally tested (Hermans et al. 2020 , Stephenson 2022 ). Based on Hermans et al. (2020 ), NiD measures for monopile OWFs can be classified into three different types, depending on where they are established and their interaction with the foundations of offshore wind turbines. (i) The optimized scour protection layers are improved versions of ordinary scour protection for monopiles (i.e. foundations consisting of a single fixed structural element) or substation. Such additional rocks and adapted grading armour layers with little or no movement have been shown to provide habitat and increase the biomass of important commercial fish and crustacean species such as the Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) and the European lobster ( Homarus gammarus ) (Rozemeijer and Van De Wolfshaar 2019 ) ( Fig. 3a ). (ii) Optimized cable protection layers for subsea power cables or cable crossings are reported; e.g. basalt bags, flexible structures, which cover the cables and provide microhabitats and shelter through the crevices, increasing biomass and creating an artificial reef, and Reef Cube® filter bags, which are cages which act as a shelter for mobile and sessile species ( Fig. 3b ). (iii) The add-on options are designed structures attached to the actual monopile or offshore substation. For instance, NiD measures designed to house the Atlantic cod include the Biohut®, an adjustable system of cages to be used on offshore jackets, and Cod hotels (Cotels), which are cage structures filled with steel tubes and funnels ( Fig. 3c ). The list of products available to the offshore wind industry is vast (see Hermans et al. 2020 , The Nature Conservancy/Inspire Environmental 2021 ) for a catalogue and detailed list of NiD products), but there is still a lack of long-term in situ assessments to confirm their efficiencies.

NiD structures and their classification based on Hermans et al. (2020 ). (a) Optimized scour protection layers: additional rocks and adapted grading armour layers, (b) optimized cable protection layers: basalt and Reef Cube® filter bags, (c) add-on options: cod hotel (cotel) and Biohut® cages, and (d) standalone units (artificial reefs): fish hotels and 3D printed units.

In the North Sea, several pilot projects for NiDs are being conducted or are in the early stage of development (see Table S1, Supplemental Material ). Reports are rich in information on NiD applications and implementation guidelines, focusing on the scour protection zones around foundations and soft sediment areas between the structures (e.g. Waardenburg 2020 ). A broad consultation with OWF actors (academic, industry, and suppliers) highlighted the advantages, both technical and ecological, along with the risks and costs for each of the NiD measures promoted (Hermans et al. 2020 ). The type of NiD material (natural versus synthetic and steel versus concrete), potentially impacting the structure of the turbines, and changes in the environmental dynamics (e.g. currents and extreme events) are some of the key points to be taken into consideration prior to implementation (Hermans et al. 2020 ). The consultation also suggested adding a different type of NiD measure into classification, namely standalone units (artificial reefs, not part of the actual turbine structure). This may include 3D-printed units with varied shapes designed to provide shelters with a large surface area within a small space, and fish hotels, which are connected and stacked concrete tubes to home fish and crustacean species (design by Wageningen University & Research; Hermans et al. 2020 ) ( Fig. 3d ) (see Fig. 4 for an overview of all NiDs in situ ).

Conceptual illustration of NiD approaches (categorized in optimized cable and scour protection layer and stand-alone and add-on units) and coexistence strategies (marine protect areas, aquaculture, tourism, and fisheries) for fixed and floating OWFs.

The application of NiD measures on offshore wind is, however, still in the initial stages of development on a global scale (Lukic et al. 2021 ), and there is a need for more pilot studies aiming at long-term monitoring of the composition, structure, and function of biological communities associated to NiDs, especially for floating wind farms in deeper water. There are risks involving NiDs that should be taken into consideration, such as settlement and migration of nonindigenous species, lack of ecological success, and impairments for the target species (i.e. ecological and policy-relevant species) (De Mesel et al. 2015 , The Nature Conservancy/Inspire Environmental 2021 ). The report from Hermans et al. (2020 ) highlights that nonproven NiDs may bring uncertainties in the design process, technical and ecological risks, and may also increase project costs. Thus, baseline studies and site-specific social–environmental assessments, including oceanographic measurements and biodiversity impacts, are needed to better evaluate the efficiency of the various NiD measures. Defining the target groups and species (fauna and flora) as well as a systematic analysis of the ecological enhancement is essential to reduce the risk and enhance the cost-effectiveness of NiD measures (Hermans et al. 2020 ).

The use of marine space for offshore wind, and the interplay between business and actors, encompass several concepts (Bonnevie et al. 2019 , Schupp et al. 2019 ), despite different definitions (see Table 1 ), sharing space and resources brings opportunities to identify synergies and align towards mutual growth (Turschwell et al. 2022 ). As we observed in our search using the second string, 63 documents explored the different coexistence activities specifically with the offshore wind industry. Following the trend observed in the first string, most of the documents are recent (past 5 years), from Europe and the North Sea, with many of the studies being conducted in UK waters (14) ( Fig. 2c and d ; Table S1, Supplemental Material ). Offshore wind is a relatively new business, sometimes implemented in spaces used and managed by different societal and commercial sectors. So far, OWFs have largely been bottom-fixed monopile structures deployed close to shore (< 20 km) in shallow waters (depth of < 30 m). The emergence of floating OWFs may create spatial conflicts with traditional and coming users of the open ocean (Gusatu et al. 2020 , Nøland et al. 2022 ). In order to share space and resources, solutions to the race for space in busy coastal and marine environments require coexistence among the different companies and actors. Different tools are used to identify and prioritize businesses to achieve sustainable development, but the lack of adequate and mutual communication between the OWF industry, researchers, and other stakeholders is an impairment to an offshore blue economy and positive development (Steins et al. 2021 , Turschwell et al. 2022 ). By analysing the different offshore wind coexistence activities [ Table S2 (Supplemental Material) for a complete overview of obtained resources, and Fig. 4 for an overview of coexistence strategies for the offshore wind industry], we can potentially identify synergies, learn from the interplay among different industries and foster nature positivity.

Fishing vessels tend to avoid fishing within OWFs due to various reasons such as health and safety issues caused by the difficulties to manoeuvre the vessels inside the farms, particularly under challenging weather and current conditions (Blyth-Skyrme 2011 , Christie et al. 2014 , Dunkley and Solandt 2022 ). Moreover, the use of certain types of active fishing gear (e.g. bottom trawl) represents a risk to infrastructure associated with OWFs, including power cables (Christie et al. 2014 ). In practice, commercial fishing activities are therefore often displaced by the OWFs and are consequently forced to be conducted elsewhere, typically reducing the number of trips and consequently reducing the revenues (e.g. Scheld et al. 2022 ). Also, whereas some European countries prohibit fishing inside and around OWFs (e.g. in German waters), others (e.g. the UK) allow fishing in such areas (Krone et al. 2017 , Stelzenmüller et al. 2021 ). Interview-based studies confirm that the fishing community are concerned about further OWF developments (Hooper et al. 2015 ). When floating OWF are being developed, a constructive dialogue between wind farm developers and the fishing industry is proposed as a prerequisite to identify coexistence solutions, promote constructive engagement and thereby minimize their conflict level (Haggett et al. 2020 ). Several frameworks for MSP have been developed, aiming to identify priority areas based on optimal coexistence trade-offs, for instance between OWFs and fisheries (e.g. Yates et al. 2015 , Gusatu et al. 2020 ). Yet, floating wind farms represent a relatively new technology that is recently implemented in practice, in which differences between floating and fixed wind farms concerning coexistence issues are largely yet to be identified (e.g. ORE Catapult & Xodus Group 2022 ).

Nevertheless, submerged artificial structures in the marine environment, including OWFs and oil and gas platforms, are associated with multiple ecological effects (Lindeboom et al. 2011 , Wright et al. 2020 ). Regarding OWFs, these effects include enhanced hard-bottom benthic diversity and attraction of other species, including benthos, fish, and marine mammals (Lindeboom et al. 2011 and references therein). For instance, commercially attractive fish species such as Atlantic cod ( G. morhua ), pouting ( Trisopterus luscus ), and whiting ( Merlangius merlangus ) tend to aggregate close to OWFs (Vandendriessche et al. 2013 , Reubens et al. 2014 ). Such dense aggregations of commercially attractive species would normally promote efficient and profitable fisheries with a low environmental footprint, but within OWF's, conventional fisheries with active gear remain challenging.

Alternative coexistence options for OWFing and fisheries have therefore been assessed. In particular, the combination of species attraction and challenges associated with the use of active fishing gear suggests that OWFs may constitute suitable areas for fisheries using passive, selective gear such as fishing traps (Letschert et al. 2021 , Stelzenmüller et al. 2021 ). For example, studies from the German Bight (North Sea) showed that the brown crab ( Cancer pagurus ), a species typically harvested with traps, may utilize wind turbine foundations as nursing areas (Krone et al. 2013 , 2017 ). Moreover, the reef effect associated with such foundations had a strongly positive effect on the local crab abundance (Krone et al. 2017 ). Indeed, a positive development of crab fisheries was observed in UK waters, likely resulting from the recent expansion of OWFs (Stelzenmüller et al. 2021 ).

Whereas some fisheries can plausibly be displaced to areas outside OWF areas without major negative economic effects on the fishing industry, other target species are dependent upon particular areas or habitats and must consequently be harvested there. For example, the sandeel ( Ammodytes spp.), a highly valuable fish resource inhabiting the North Sea, depends on sandy habitats and avoids sediments with > 10% silt/clay content (Wright et al. 2020 ). Being harvested with active gear such as bottom trawl, coexistence of sandeel fisheries and OWF is plausibly challenging. On the other hand, the nephrops ( Nephrops norvegicus ), a commercially important crustacean caught in the North Sea, depend on muddy sediments (Letschert et al. 2021 ). If fishing vessels targeting the nephrops are displaced, for instance resulting from offshore wind developments, there is a risk that fishing opportunities may be lost (Letschert et al. 2021 , Roach et al. 2022 ). However, as the nephrops are trawled and harvested with traps, coexistence of nephrops fisheries and OWF is considered feasible (Letschert et al. 2021 ). Therefore, knowledge of the type of fisheries (e.g. target species and gear) that can potentially be colocated with OWF is therefore vital and should be expanded (RSPB 2022 ).

Aquaculture

In response to area limitations, which become increasingly severe in coastal waters, some offshore aquaculture farms have recently been developed (Langan and Horton 2003 , Morro et al. 2022 ). The concept is promising, but being exposed to harsh open-ocean conditions, offshore aquaculture involves high operational costs and challenging maintenance procedures (Gjuka 2017 ). Yet, provided allocation in spots with appropriate oceanographic conditions, the concept may also offer benefits including reduced organic and nutrient load on vulnerable fjord and inshore locations (Lindahl et al. 2005 ), low parasite pressure, and appropriate oxygen saturation (Morro et al. 2022 ). Recently, attention has been paid to the coexistence of OWF and aquaculture farming of various species including seaweed, bivalves, and fish, as a means of area-efficient, profitable, sustainable, and technologically feasible food production (Buck et al. 2010 , Gimpel et al. 2015 , Soma et al. 2019 ). Since areas within OWF are imposed by restricted access, they are characterized by a low level of disturbance (e.g. from shipping and tourism) and therefore emerge as suitable areas for coexistence with aquaculture (Buck et al. 2008 ). Furthermore, such coexistence may facilitate shared logistics and maintenance among the colocated industries (Buck et al. 2010 ).

Technical solutions supporting the offshore development of aquaculture have been developed in recent years. In terms of environmental conditions, several fish species including European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ), cod ( G. morhua ), and haddock ( Melanogrammus aeglefinus ) could be feasible to farm in coexistence with OWF (Gimpel et al. 2015 ). However, offshore fish farms are typically characterized by extensive physical structures, and they require close attention from operators (Buck 2007 , Christie et al. 2014 ). In contrast, offshore farming of seaweed and bivalves typically rely on simpler designs such as longline systems (Buck et al. 2010 , Christie et al. 2014 , Tullberg et al. 2022 ). In addition, they share a feature that is presumably crucial with regard to cultivation in the harsh and often remote offshore environment: unlike fish, they do not require daily attention or feeding (Buck 2007 , Christie et al. 2014 ). Nevertheless, in order to realise coexistence of OWF and aquaculture, various regulatory aspects as well as technological, economic, and biological issues are needed to be solved (Wever et al. 2015 ).

Seaweed cultivation combines CO 2 capture and food production and has been highlighted as a promising option for OWF coexistence (Moreira and Pires 2016 , Koch et al. 2021 ). Seaweed sinking has been recently suggested as a NbS to mitigate climate change (carbon removal), however, the practice still lacks scientific knowledge and needs further investigation prior to the application (Ricart et al. 2022 ). Many seaweed species are also suitable as food for humans or feed for animals (van der Spiegel et al. 2013 ). Yet, when cultivated in coexistence with OWF, numerous technical and food safety-related factors need to be accounted for in order to produce healthy seaweed for food and feed purposes (Banach et al. 2020 , van den Burg et al. 2020 ). For instance, to avoid the uptake of harmful substances, the farmed seaweed should not be exposed to pollution caused by vessel operation or accidents, or contaminants leaching from OWF structures (e.g. heavy metals from antifouling; Banach et al. 2020 ). Numerous seaweed species, including the sugar kelp ( Saccharina latissima ), are suitable for offshore farming (e.g. Van Den Burg et al. 2013 ). The seaweed production process typically involves two phases: a seedling laboratory production phase and a grow-out phase in the ocean (Taelman et al. 2015 ). The seedling production process is laborious, ultimately resulting in long, seeded cultivation strings (Taelman et al. 2015 ). In the grow-out phase, these cultivation strings are wrapped around offshore longlines (this deployment typically occurs in December), and high-quality seaweed is harvested in May the following year (Taelman et al. 2015 ). Although the production process of seaweed is well-established, uncertainty is still being induced in the planning of OWF and seaweed cultivation coexistence, as legal regulations for such coexistence are often immature (Soma et al. 2019 )

Successful coexistence of OWF and bivalve cultivation depends on the environmental conditions in the coexistence area (Di Tullio et al. 2018 ). Biological and physical–chemical factors including seawater temperature, salinity, nutrient concentration, oxygen level, and the concentration of chlorophyll a in the water masses flowing through the mussel farm influence mussel growth, and these factors may also be altered by the presence of physical structures such as OWF`s (Benassai et al. 2014 , Cazenave et al. 2016 , Di Tullio et al. 2018 ). For instance, model studies indicate that physical structures may enhance vertical mixing and thereby induce a local increase in dissolved inorganic nitrogen available to biota at higher trophic levels (e.g. Cazenave et al. 2016 ). One of the bivalve species that are suitable for cultivation in coexistence with OWF is the blue mussel ( Mytilus edulis ; Griffin et al. 2015 ), a species that is both a food resource and an important filtration feeder. The cultivation of the blue mussel is typically carried out over a 15–18-month period, with spat collection in May–June during the first year, maintenance of longlines from August the first year until May the second year, and subsequent harvesting of consumption-size mussels (> 5.5 cm) in August–November (Buck et al. 2010 ). Given the relatively simple technology and limited requirements regarding daily attention, it is therefore evident that certain bivalve and seaweed species (e.g. M. edulis and S. latissima ) emerge as good candidates for cultivation in coexistence with OWF (Buck 2007 , Christie et al. 2014 ).

Marine protected areas

One of the most effective ways to restore marine biodiversity and functioning is by implementing areas where extractive activities are reduced or prohibited (Sala and Giakoumi 2018 ). As summarized by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), there is a need for more protected areas (an increase to 30% of fully protected MPAs) and renewables (an increase of 40 times more renewable energy by 2050) to support a sustainable ocean economy and healthy ocean (Stuchtey et al. 2021 ). The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), followed by the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty, also emphasizes the significance of conserving and protecting marine areas to prevent biodiversity loss (CBD 2022 , UN General Assembly 2023 ). Since OWFs in practice may act as no-take zones in most of the implemented countries, mainly European ones (Krone et al. 2017 , Stelzenmüller et al. 2021 ), the area effectively turns into a fisheries reserve, bringing similar positive benefits as MPAs. Overall, today’s size of OWFs is in accordance with MPAs recommended size regulations, and the overall positive effect can be considered similar in terms of refuge for benthic habitats, benthos, fish, and marine mammals (Ashley et al. 2014 ). Marine protected areas, however, have different levels of protection thus requiring regional and detailed MSP assessments when considering colocation with OWFs.

In a global systematic review and meta-analysis, Ashley et al. (2014 ) broke down the question ‘ Can offshore windfarms act as marine protected areas? ’, and concluded that overall OWFs as nontake zones may indeed positively affect commercial species (e.g. fish and crustacean) with a minimum negative impact on commercial fishing. A detailed MSP framework for the Canary Islands also highlighted the benefits of colocating OWFs and MPAs, contributing to socio-ecological and economic development of the region (Abramic et al. 2021 ). However, there is a lack of offshore wind-focused studies and long-term monitoring to compare the negative and positive outcomes from OWFs and MPAs, such as the spill-over effects (net movement of individuals from marine reserves to surrounding fishing grounds) (Stelzenmüller et al. 2021 ). A recent report on European offshore renewable energy also highlighted offshore renewables as potential Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) ( Table 1 for definition) (Soukissian et al. 2023 ), but their consideration requires more research and it is debatable (Lloret et al. 2022 ). Knowledge of the efficiency of implementing OWFs inside protected areas, especially for floating structures, is even more scarce and questioned (Sanders et al. 2017 , Lloret et al. 2022 ). Les Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe de Lion (EFGL) project, located at the Natural Park of the Gulf of Lion, will be the first floating OWF to be implemented inside an MPA. The implementation of OWFs changes the baseline environmental features of the MPA, such as sediment and diversity of certain groups, highlighting the need for a historical ecological assessment of the area to evaluate potential restoration and colocation activities (Dunkley and Solandt 2022 ).

Coastal adaptation management initiatives involving sustainable restoration projects, and the use of eco-engineering designs, have been in practice to substitute or complement traditional civil engineering solutions and solve a range of environmental problems (e.g. coastal erosion and reef restoration) (O’Shaughnessy et al. 2020 , Cohn et al. 2022 , van der Meulen et al. 2022 ). Due to the social–ecological complexity of coastal and estuarine areas, there is a range of methods involving NbSs and NiDs varying in space and time, from micro (e.g. 3D-printed units) to macro (e.g. costal stretch) approaches to support biodiversity gain and ecosystem functioning (see reviews in Table S3, Supplemental Material ). Although we cannot expect direct applications of the knowledge built from other marine based industries, the adaptation management and concepts could be evaluated, adapted, and applied to approaches within OWFs. However, OWF has a significant impact on the estuarine and coastal zones, and to achieve a nature positive industry, nature positive approaches—thus including NbSs and NiDs—should be included in OWF projects (Stephenson 2022 and literature within).

Climate change adaptation and mitigation represent increasingly important considerations in current and future marine research and industrial development (Bulleri et al. 2018 , Kuwae and Crooks 2021 ). The impacts of anthropogenic climate change affect individuals to ecosystem levels, and some unprecedented changes are minimized or mitigated through NbSs (Wijsman et al. 2021 , Moraes et al. 2022 , van der Meulen et al. 2022 ). The knowledge acquired for beach erosion and coastal flood protection, e.g. brings an important catalogue of efficient natural and artificial material to be implemented, and how to evaluate sediment grains deposit and behaviour when in contact with physical structures and faunal communities (Wijsman et al. 2021 , Moraes et al. 2022 , van der Meulen et al. 2022 ).

Different designs and hydrodynamics influencing floating structures may affect settlement patterns of fauna and macroalgae differentially when compared to fixed foundations, and the information available from floating structures is still scarce. In the coastal zone, some studies show floating pontoons (hollow structures made either of concrete or fiberglass) affecting local biodiversity and facilitating species settlement, with a potentially negative effect from colonization of nonindigenous species and shading to the benthic compartment (O’Shaughnessy et al. 2020 , van der Meulen et al. 2022 ). Additionally, wave energy farms mostly encompass floating structures and are often suggested as a business that can be colocated with offshore wind. Short- and long-term studies on wind farms suggested a higher abundance of fish and crabs on the foundations through time and highlighted the importance of habitat complexity on abundance and diversity of colonizing species (Langhamer and Wilhelmsson 2009 , Bender et al. 2020 ), similarly to some results observed in association with OWFs (e.g. 26 119). Manipulating the complexity and structure of NiD is a well-explored topic on coastal artificial reefs and protection enhancement measures (Dahl et al. 2015 , Kramer et al. 2015 , Howie and Bishop 2021 ). By manipulating crevices and structural components of NiDs, structures can act more efficiently to attract and increase the density of certain groups of species or communities. However, habitat complexity is modified by the communities’ dynamics through time, and their establishment also promotes habitat change (e.g. oyster after settling create a different spatial structure to other living organisms), highlighting the importance of long-term monitoring of the community development (Smith et al. 2014 ). For example, the intrinsic complexity of oil and gas platforms and associated fixed structures recruits and attracts a large number of species, turning these structures into highly productive marine habitats (Claisse et al. 2014 , Reeves et al. 2018 ). As such, we argue that biological patterns observed in association with related marine industries may also be relevant to the OWF industry.

As the use of the term nature positive grows, a joint and ambitious definition and accounting methodology will be useful to halt the loss of biodiversity where needed, provide transparency, and enable flow of capital to truly nature positive OWF projects. A way to implement efficient nature positive approaches, thus including NbSs and NiDs, is the collaboration between the stakeholders, industry, and research community (natural and social scientists), in establishing collaboration on in situ , long-term experiments and monitoring.

Relevant research and monitoring data is sparse, in particular for the nascent floating OWFs. Floating turbines have different physical and environmental footprints when compared to bottom-fixed structures, with a major part of the structure floating in deeper waters, and the anchoring system consists of typically three mooring lines anchored in the seafloor (James and Costa Ros 2015 ). These features, and the lack of an intertidal zone, may bring different effects to the biodiversity establishment, marine connectivity, and interaction with the surrounding environment. For instance, floating devices mimicking the turbine installation coupled with NiDs showed tracked fishes accessing these structures and moving back to the coastal shore (Lecaillon et al. 2022 ), evidencing an effect on their behaviour and potential influence on the community structure and dynamics. Also, NiDs should be implemented based on local environmental characteristics and needs; as example, there is an important difference between the use of NiDs to restore depleted reefs (e.g. oyster restoration in the North Sea) and the use of artificials in areas where reefs are absent. The gain in species richness and consequent changes in habitat complexity and food-web structure should be a key decision factor while evaluating the need and relevance of implementing NiDs, or any other nature positive approach. As an example, seabirds may be drawn to the OWFs due to the availability of prey species, which have been established through the use of NbS designed for the aquatic environment. This may lead to extra unwanted interactions and associated risks between seabirds and OWFs. For seabirds in UK waters, a list of recommendations is provided to support nature positive development aligned to the group needs, such as the highlighting the importance of proper MSP and improvement of monitoring and mitigation measures in fisheries (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, RSPB 2022 ).

Integrated planning and management are needed to achieve a holistic sustainability plan for OWFs (Stephenson et al. 2019 ). Co-use strategies (offshore wind combined with aquaculture, fisheries, and so on) are suggested as an economic and ecological benefit for all businesses (areal use and reduced costs), to mitigate the race for ocean space. Although not being nature positive approaches in the strict sense, positive outcomes from coexistence activities (e.g. kelp farming and carbon-storing) should be carefully evaluated. Ideally, colocated businesses could combine efforts to build a mutual implementation of nature positive approaches and strategies to reducing the overall impact on the environment. Other social–economic activities could also contribute to the development of the offshore wind industry. Tourism on OWFs has been considered an economic activity and a way to promote outreach and increase public awareness of renewables in general and OWFs in particular (Lukic et al. 2021 ). However, public and community perception is context-dependent and directly affects the local economy (Westerberg et al. 2013 , Smythe et al. 2020 , Degraer et al. 2021 ). As highlighted in Smythe et al. 2020 , there is an interest to promote offshore wind tourism, but a potential short-lived interest and difficulties in implementing it on larger farms should be taken into consideration. The implementation of any multiuse strategy, however, should be planned from the early design phase of the project and in order to reach a consensus, they should be developed in close collaboration with stakeholders, including public consultations.

Successful upscaling of nature positive offshore wind and coexistence solutions will require cost-effective nature positive approaches, stakeholder support, as well as regulatory incentives. Research collaboration across disciplines, which have not traditionally worked together, is required to develop solutions that are both technologically and ecologically feasible. Research and pilot projects focusing on technology and services supporting colocation, can also reduce biodiversity pressure outside of the OWFs and ensure cost-effective nature positive approaches. This includes, e.g. technical solutions for aquaculture and fisheries within OWFs, as well as monitoring of biodiversity impacts and maintenance needs. The offshore wind industry also has a significant impact on the estuarine and coastal zones, requiring cables and connections to the grid, transformers, storage of turbine components, and use of industrial harbours. In order to be net nature positive, measures could also be considered in these areas, where restoration projects, and the use of eco-engineering designs and rewilding, is more developed (see examples in Table S1, Supplemental Material ). Stakeholders, however, should be included at an early stage to ensure that nature positive approaches support coexistence and are perceived as acceptable to relevant users of the sea.

Numerous companies state the implementation of nature positive initiatives but there is a gap between what is needed in order to achieve a resilient environment and what has been provided by the industry so far (zu Ermgassen et al. 2022 ). Most of the initiatives are indeed relevant to the offshore wind industry, but due to the novelty and complexity of the industry and lack of some knowledge on the interactions between offshore wind and ecosystems, a specific evaluation of the needs to be nature positive in offshore wind should be provided, where the information presented here in the review could be used as a relevant resource. Yet, there is still an overall lack of operational and regulatory guidance to achieve nature positive outcomes (zu Ermgassen et al. 2022 ). The ways to measure and estimate efficacy of nature positive approaches are still under development and are mostly explored in the grey literature. However, it is suggested that we can effectively understand the impacts (positives and negatives) of a certain industry and propose measurements to achieve a positive net gain (Milner-Gulland 2022 ). The Nature Positive (2022 ) report gives a broad framework and guidelines to measure nature positive outcomes. As of interest to OWFs, the natural processes (carbon sequestration and storage, migration patterns, sediment transport, and the integrity of estuaries and integrity of tidal zones), ecosystems (extent of habitat, the function of species in their habitats, and ecological integrity of the habitat), and species (extent and abundance of species, extinction risk of species, and genetic diversity) are the main metrics highlighted to quantify nature positive outcomes.

In some countries, such as the Netherlands, the use of NiDs is already encouraged through tender requirements (Hermans et al. 2020 ). Moving forward, regulatory incentives via spatial planning and tenders will be important to foster nature positive approaches and coexistence. Also, in several countries OWFs structures must be removed at the end-of-life of the OWF (i.e. in the decommission phase; Mauricio Hernandez C et al. 2021 , Hall et al. 2022 ). Removing the structures and associated NiDs could potentially outweigh long-term ecological benefits of NiDs. As applied in some decommissioning of oil and gas platforms (e.g. Gulf of Mexico and California, Kaiser and Pulsipher 2005 ), developers apply to leave a portion of each structure in place to continue functioning as an artificial reef (Mauricio Hernandez C et al. 2021 , Hall et al. 2022 ). Similar research and pilots are needed for OWFs to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of partial decommission, allowing successful NiDs to be left behind at end of turbine life. This is especially important as OWFs can have several generations of turbines. Also, environmental impact assessments for offshore wind typically focus on reducing negative impacts, not on positive impacts, which may impede the development of NiDs.

There is a significant and concerning knowledge gap regarding OWF in the southern hemisphere and (sub)tropical areas, potentially due to a combination of lack of investments in research and less offshore wind development. Large offshore wind developments are being considered in regions holding rich biodiversity, such as Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia, as well as world leading ambitions in China (GWEC—Global Wind Energy Council 2022 ). Biodiversity and environmental dynamics in (sub)tropical areas are significantly different from those in temperate environments, where most of the knowledge on nature positive approaches, and associated approaches (NbS and NiD), have been established. Thus, there is a need for regional assessments to decide the best practices for target groups. We are also aware that our searching strategy may cause a potential bias due to the lack of other bibliographic languages apart from English (Rockliffe 2022 ), an issue that is likely most relevant regarding the grey literature. Follow-up reviews using languages from countries where most of the knowledge is coming from (published in documents in English) (e.g. Northern European countries—Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark) and areas with developing and established offshore wind industry (e.g. China) would be of great relevance.

Nontarget macrofauna species and meiofauna community changes are also less explored in the offshore wind literature. Both have key roles in marine benthic biogeochemistry (including carbon pathways) and serve as food for several target species (e.g. fish and crustaceans) in association with nature positive measures (Griffiths et al. 2017 , Solan et al. 2020 ). Additionally, the review process revealed that additional scientific and monitoring efforts should be taken considering the functional diversity and different trophic levels within OWFs.

The global decarbonization of the energy sector requires a feasible and effective approach of nature positive approaches aiming for biodiversity net gain and resilience. It is consensus across publications and reports on the need for additional data collection, testing, and experimentation (long-term) on nature positive approaches in OWFs, especially in situ NiD experiments from floating wind turbines. There is still a strong need for a definition for the offshore wind industry and common guidelines and framework on how to achieve and measure positive outcomes in general, and aquatic systems in particular. Nature positive approaches should be carefully implemented, followed up with in situ experiments and science-based systematic monitoring. Coexistence practices support the multiuse of marine space and bring positive and negative impacts to the environment, and their evaluation and potential integration in the OWF industry should be considered.

We thank Witteveen + Bos and Gilles Lecaillon (Ecocean) for image authorization ( Fig. 3 ), Sara Clarke (UiO, Library) for evaluating our research strings, Camilla Fagerli and Paul R. Berg (NIVA) for their valuable suggestions and manuscript proofreading, and Levi Westerveld for the illustration ( Fig. 4 ). We also thank Editor Dr Mark Gibbs and the anonymous reviewer for their valuable comments.

Pardo, J.C.F. Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Visualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing. Aune, M.: Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review and editing. Harman, C.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing—review and editing. Walday, M.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing—review and editing. Skjellum, S.F.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Writing—review and editing

None declared.

This review is part of a commissioned work requested by Equinor (Norway) on nature positive practices and coexistence in the offshore wind industry. Both parts agreed to have the work freely available following open access guidelines

The data underlying this article are available in the article and in its online supplementary material .

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There are good factors such as, wind is clean and renewable, as well as the cost. There are also bad factors such as the appearance and size that they are. These turbines are useful and can be used all over the world. AP English Language and Composition Question 1: Synthesis (2019) Sample Student Responses.
PDF AP English Language and Composition Question 1: Synthesis (2019) Sample
wind farm would have, if they were to choose to construct one. [3] Another important aspect to factor in not only the construction of wind farms, but in facets of human life, is the potential effect on human happiness and well-being. Wind turbines do serve as an innovative way of providing energy, but they are not without controversy.
PDF AP English Language and Composition
Synthesis Essay 6 points . Vertical farms are indoor agricultural facilities in which plants are grown, often in a hydroponic ( soilless) environment, on tall stacks of shelves. Plants are given water, nutrients, and light mostly through automated processes. Advocates say that vertical farms are key to providing food for the future,
PDF AP English Language and Composition FRQ 1 Scoring Commentaries with
individuals/agencies must consider wind farms "placement and size" to support "human happiness and well-being." The response cites Source A and C to offer a clear concession that wind turbines "occupy huge parcels of land" and potentially cause "sleeplessness." The response challenges these complaints
The Evolution of Wind Farms: [Essay Example], 600 words
Wind farms have become increasingly important in recent years as a source of renewable energy, which is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. In this synthesis essay, we will explore the history, benefits, challenges, technological advances, and future of wind farms.
PDF AP English Language and Composition
Question 1: Synthesis Essay 6 points . In response to our society's increasing demand for energy, large-scale wind power has drawn attention from governments and consumers as a ... or solar power. Yet the establishment of large-scale, commercial-grade wind farms is often the subject of controversy for a variety of reasons. Carefully read the ...
PDF AP English Language and Composition
5 - Essays earning a score of 5 develop a position on the most important factors that an individual or agency should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm. They develop their position by synthesizing at least three sources, but the evidence a nd explanations used to support that position may be uneven, inconsistent, or limited.
How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay + Example
Step 5: Write your Essay. Use the remaining 30-35 minutes to write your essay. This should be relatively easy if you took the time to mark up the sources and have a detailed outline. Remember to add special consideration and emphasis to the commentary sections of the supporting arguments outlined in your thesis.
PDF Chief Reader Report on Student Responses
the most important factors that an individual or agency should consider when deciding whether to establish a wind farm." To achieve this task, students needed to read all the sources, drawing support from the information to write their essay. To do well, students were expected to understand that they were, in essence, creating an argument using
Establishing a Line of Reasoning
Let's Connect on Social Media:Coach Hall Writes Teacher Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Coach-Hall-Writes-107100124435817Teacher Instagram: www.insta...
How to Write a Perfect Synthesis Essay for the AP Language Exam
Paragraph 1: The prompt presents and briefly explains the topic that you'll be writing your synthesis essay about. That topic is the concept of eminent domain. Paragraph 2: The prompt presents a specific claim about the concept of eminent domain in this paragraph: Eminent domain is productive and beneficial.This paragraph instructs you to decide whether you want to defend, challenge, or ...
Essay on Wind Turbine: Top 7 Essays
The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. Essay # 2. History of Wind Turbines: Wind machines were used in Persia as early as 200 B.C. The wind-wheel of Heron of Alexandria marks one of the first known instances of wind powering a machine in history.
Synthesis Practice Essay AP Lang Wind Turbines.pdf
Bujak 3 Coal has a 29% energy input retained while oil is 31% retained. Keeping in mind the efficiency of windmills is just as important as recognizing the clean energy benefits and area for implementation. As stated, there are lots of different ideas and ways of thinking when it comes to installing wind farms as an energy source. Recognizing the benefits and efficiency of clean energy, as ...
2019 Wind Farm Synthesis
2019 Wind Farm Synthesis - Student Sample - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free.
2019 Wind Farms Synthesis Essay.pdf
2019 Synthesis Essay Wind Farms In response to our society's increasing demand for energy, large-scale wind power has drawn attention from governments and consumers as a potential alternative to traditional materials that fuel our power grids, such as coal, oil, natural gas, water, or even newer sources such as nuclear or solar power. Yet the establishment of large-scale, commercial-grade ...
Wind Farms Synthesis Essay 4 .docx
The loud noises produced by wind turbines can have been shown to have many negative effects on human health according to Source C, such as "nausea, vertigo, blurred vision, unsteady movement, and difficulty reading, remembering, and thinking". With that being said, before making the decision to install a wind turbine, make sure to consider ...
Synthesis Essay Intro
For instance, if the topic is wind farms, you can define what this means. This is a great way to ensure the reader fully understands the terms within your synthesis essay intro. Ex: Wind farms, an isolated area containing wind turbines used to generate clean, renewable energy, have become a point of discussion as a means of providing efficient ...
synthesis review of nature positive approaches and coexistence in the
Short- and long-term studies on wind farms suggested a higher abundance of fish and crabs on the foundations through time and highlighted the importance of habitat complexity on abundance and diversity of colonizing species (Langhamer and Wilhelmsson 2009, Bender et al. 2020), similarly to some results observed in association with OWFs (e.g. 26 ...
wtf is the synthesis essay : r/APStudents
So make sure you don't accidentally start writing about the pros and cons of a wind farm instead. As long as you answer the prompt in your thesis, outlining the specific factors you come up with (ex. Location of the wind farm, efficiency of wind power, economic effects), you will get the thesis point.
Copy of EXTRA CREDIT SYNTHESIS ESSAY SAMPLE (wind farms)
English document from Sam Houston High School, 3 pages, EXTRA CREDIT SYNTHESIS ESSAY SAMPLE AP English Language and Composition Name _ Read the following sample essay in response to the Synthesis Prompt. This essay earned a perfect score of 6 out of 6. Answer the questions that follow each paragraph. You can e
Wind Power Synthesis Essay
Wind Power Synthesis Essay Wind turbines are very reliable in producing electricity and having a continuous source of energy. The future of wind turbines will give us the ability to do much more because of how useful they are for the reasons listed above. Firstly, wind turbines are very reliable in their ability to produce electricity.
Wind turbine synthesis essay.docx
Rylee Munz Mrs. Izquierdo January 31, 2022 Synthesis Essay With societies continuously growing consumption of energy, and the tolls which traditional energy methods effect the environment, governments and scientists have begun to consider different alternatives to harnessing energy. Wind turbines are a new source of energy which is beginning to become more prevalent and favored.

The Evolution of Wind Farms

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How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay + Example

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Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Step 4: Create a Minimal Essay Outline

Step 5: Write your Essay

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Synthesis Essay AP Lang: What It Is and How It Works

Full Breakdown of a Real AP Lang Synthesis Essay Prompt

Step 1: Analyze the Prompt

Step 2: Read the Sources Carefully

Step 3: Write a Strong Thesis Statement

Step 4: Create a Bare-Bones Essay Outline

Step 5: Draft Your Essay Response

Real-Life AP Synthesis Essay Example and Analysis

Example Synthesis Essay AP Lang Response

Thesis Development

Evidence and Commentary

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Synthesis Essay Intro

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