NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Community Offshore Wind (COSW) have inked a 5-year partnership to collaborate on data exchange and expertise sharing. Their primary goal is to develop an environmental monitoring program for COSW’s New York and New Jersey project.
Enhancing Monitoring
This collaboration will bolster NOAA’s regional environmental monitoring efforts by providing essential data during the construction of new offshore wind projects. It will contribute to the development of best practices for implementing environmental observation systems on offshore wind infrastructure.
“With help from a number of collaborators and the fishing industry, our agency maintains some of the world’s most comprehensive data sets on large marine ecosystems,” said Jon Hare, director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
“Our goal is to bring offshore wind energy monitoring activities into this partnership. This agreement is our first chance to make these partnerships a reality and show by example that effective scientific monitoring benefits everyone.”
Building Sound Monitoring Programs
Under the agreement, NOAA and COSW will:
- Establish a feasible and scientifically sound monitoring program for COSW’s project that can support effective and ecologically meaningful regional monitoring programs
- Ensure collected monitoring data are shared and integrated into fishery, habitat, and protected resources assessments in the region
“This partnership is a groundbreaking opportunity for both the offshore wind industry and the scientific community alike. The scientific data collected through our environmental monitoring program will be invaluable as we continue to study, the impacts of offshore wind development on marine ecosystems,” said Doug Perkins, President and Project Director of Community Offshore Wind.
“Community Offshore Wind looks forward to collaborating with NOAA to design marine wildlife monitoring programs that are thoughtfully informed and scientifically sound, and also support existing regional scientific assessments.”
Collaborative Research
Federal and non-federal partners unite under a cooperative research and development agreement, sharing expertise and resources for collaborative research.
The center strives to ensure marine life sustainability, support seafood harvests, bolster coastal communities, and stimulate economic opportunities in the region.
Community Offshore Wind, after engaging with fisheries stakeholders in the Northeast, remains dedicated to ongoing collaboration as they advance their project development.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe
Source : NOAA Fisheries
