US Wind has started oceanographic surveys within its offshore wind lease area off the state of Maryland.
The developer said that a team of scientists and other experts will collect data starting this month until July to help inform the project design, including foundation type, turbine location and cable burial routes.
Surveys will be carried out by TDI-Brooks’ research vessels RV Brooks McCall and the RV Miss Emma McCall.
The vessels will execute geophysical surveys for offshore hazard and site clearance assessments, cable routing, seafloor mapping, fisheries habitat mapping and burial assessment studies, US Wind said.
US Wind chief executive Jeff Grybowski said: “These seabed surveys are an important next step in our commitment to providing Maryland with clean, renewable energy.
“Data collected will ensure safe and long-term operations and performance of our offshore wind facilities.”
US Wind said it has already begun an extensive outreach effort to local fishermen to inform them of these survey activities.
Dedicated fisheries outreach specialists from Sea Risk Solutions will also regularly provide updates on the vessels’ scheduled activities.
There will be no restriction on fishing in the offshore wind lease area due to these survey activities, US Wind said.
The company said it is also implementing efforts to minimise impacts on marine life during survey operations.
Expert protected species observers will be aboard each vessel to monitor for the presence of protected species, such as the North Atlantic Right Whale, and ensure that appropriate measures are taken to protect these species, it said.