Two federal agencies have released a Federal Survey Mitigation Strategy aimed at mitigating potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on NOAA Fisheries’ scientific surveys.
In a Dec. 5 statement, NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) said this new strategy underscores a shared commitment to President Joe Biden’s clean energy goals — which include responsibly advancing offshore wind energy production, while also protecting biodiversity and shared use of the ocean.
Fisheries surveys allow NOAA to monitor important trends for individual species over time, with broader goals of understanding marine ecosystems. Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, noted the surveys will be particularly important for supporting sustainable fisheries in the face of climate change.
BOEM Director Amanda Lefton added that by taking an all-of-government approach, the two agencies can leverage expertise and resources to ensure responsible development of offshore wind energy.
Both NOAA and BOEM identified major adverse impacts on surveys conducted in the northeast region of the country during their environmental review of the first offshore wind energy project on the Outer Continental Shelf. A draft survey mitigation strategy was developed in response and made available for public comment earlier this year.
The strategy, now finalized, has identified five essential components to mitigate impacts of offshore wind energy development on the NOAA surveys. While the strategy focuses on New England and the mid-Atlantic regions, it will serve as a model for addressing potential adverse impacts of offshore wind development on NOAA Fisheries surveys in other regions, the two agencies said.
The goals include integrating the wind energy development monitoring studies with NOAA fisheries surveys when feasible.
On a national basis, NOAA Fisheries assesses the status on some 450 fishery stocks, 200 marine mammal stocks and 165 threatened and endangered species, including some marine mammals.
These assessments rely on over 50 long term, standardized surveys — many of which have been ongoing for over three decades. The Biden administration has set a goal of significant increases in offshore wind energy capacity to combat the impact of climate change and develop a clean energy economy.
The current goal is to boost offshore wind energy capacity to 30 gigawatts by 2030 and an additional 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind technology by 2035. Gigawatt hours are units of energy representing one billion watt hours, the equivalent of one million kilowatt hours.
