US Wind has pledged $11m in funding over 10 years to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) to improve understanding of the potential effects of offshore wind development on marine life.
The three research projects will take place in US Wind’s 80,000-acre federal Lease area off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland.
“As US Wind works to develop offshore wind off Maryland’s coast, it’s imperative that we do so responsibly,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with UMCES on industry-leading environmental research that will enhance protections for marine life as we develop this clean energy resource for the region.”
All the projects are planned to kick off this year.
The first UMCES research projects is an eight-year programme is to evaluate the extent that black sea bass change their aggregation behaviours before, during, and after wind farm construction.
Black sea bass are structure-oriented with large aggregations occurring on artificial reefs and wrecks.
Turbine foundations will add three-dimensional structure within US Wind’s Lease where very little currently exists.
This research project will assess the benefits and potential fish aggregation effects. It will also test black sea bass fishing with ropeless gear, an important technology to reduce whale entanglements.
The next initiative will continue the deployment of a near real-time whale detection system to provide timely alerts on the presence of baleen whales (North Atlantic right whales, and humpback, fin, and sei whales) for a 12-month period from 2022 to 2023.
The project is a unique partnership between UMCES and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that utilises specialised quiet mooring technology, whale vocalisation detection algorithms, and telecommunications to transmit frequent alerts on the presence of baleen whales.
The initiative enables continued and real-time data collection through the buoy system that was initially funded by the Maryland Energy Administration and deployed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The third project is a long-term research undertaking to support passive acoustic monitoring to detect large whales – such as North Atlantic right whales – and dolphins to understand their presence and migration patterns in and around the Lease area and the potential effects of construction.
Working with Cornell University’s Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, two types of listening devices will be deployed to determine the occurrence and position of large whales and dolphins, and to detect the tonal echolocation clicks of small cetaceans including porpoises.
Additionally, this project will deploy equipment to listen for passing fish, sharks, rays, and turtles that have been implanted with transponders for broader scientific research.
These UMCES-led research projects build on the environmental baseline work US Wind is doing to better understand the environment in and around its Lease area and mitigate potential effects of offshore wind development on marine life and avian species.
One such initiative, conducted by US Wind through its contractor Normandeau Associates, includes aerial digital surveys to identify birds that may be displaced or avoid the wind farm once the turbines are installed.