Landmark Analysis Plan Established for Offshore Wind & Wildlife

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The Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC) yesterday launched the primary collaborative analysis plan to information research of interactions between offshore wind and wildlife on the U.S. East Coast.

“This Science Plan supplies the blueprint for the area’s future work,” stated Emily Shumchenia, the director of the RWSC. “It’s additionally a name to motion to collaborate on advancing our understanding of offshore wind and marine ecosystems.”

The Built-in Science Plan for Offshore Wind, Wildlife, and Habitat in U.S. Atlantic Waters is the results of intensive work over two years amongst scientists and representatives from authorities, trade, and environmental teams that make up the distinctive regional collaborative. The Science Plan will lead to impartial and peer-reviewed science that may assist shield wildlife and preserve ocean habitats whereas enabling states and the federal authorities to work towards their objectives of increasing offshore wind energy. A number of Atlantic states are already requiring funding for regional wildlife analysis and collaboration with RWSC as a part of their offshore wind procurements.

“This Science Plan supplies the blueprint for the area’s future work,” stated Emily Shumchenia, the director of the RWSC. “It’s additionally a name to motion to collaborate on advancing our understanding of offshore wind and marine ecosystems.”

Along with figuring out knowledge and analysis priorities, the plan requires a coordinated community up and down the Atlantic coast to detect and monitor wildlife—together with marine mammals, birds, bats, and sea turtles—in and round offshore wind farms. A wise coast-wide wildlife detection and monitoring community would come with a listening community for whales, an in-air community to detect tagged birds and bats flying or feeding offshore, and underwater sensors that detect and doc the habits of sea turtles and enormous fish. The plan additionally recommends that knowledge and outcomes of all research be shared with the general public as quickly as doable to supply for transparency and environment friendly decision-making.

“This historic analysis plan will assist present the science we have to make sure that offshore wind is developed in a method that protects ocean wildlife,” stated Shumchenia. “We’d like to have the ability to acquire and examine findings simply in order that the general public and coverage makers can be taught shortly what the regional implications are and make any wanted adjustments.”

The Science Plan contains suggestions for knowledge administration, knowledge assortment, and knowledge evaluation actions and capability throughout wildlife species and subjects together with marine mammals, birds, bats, sea turtles, protected fish, oceanography, seafloor habitat, and expertise. These suggestions had been developed by six subcommittees comprised of tons of of consultants from the U.S. federal businesses, Atlantic coast states, offshore wind firms, environmental nonprofits, and analysis establishments, and had been refined by suggestions obtained throughout a public remark interval over the summer season.

To facilitate this regional collaboration, RWSC will maintain annual conferences starting within the fall of 2024 to assist companions align analysis funds to handle Science Plan objectives based mostly on ongoing analysis, rising knowledge wants, new analysis outcomes, and accessible funding. By its current MOU with the Heart for Ocean Management, RWSC can help companions in conducting analysis actions or by pooling funds from a number of companions to perform shared priorities.

RWSC will report yearly on the continued analysis and findings and replace the Science Plan each 5 years, as wanted, to maintain tempo with new info and a quickly evolving offshore wind trade. The subcommittees will proceed to satisfy to share info and advance Science Plan suggestions.

To be taught extra, together with easy methods to take part, register for the RWSC Science Plan Launch webinar on February 9, from 1-2pm ET.

Courtesy of Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC).