New Jersey boosts offshore wind whale safety and environmental studies with $2m grant

Following an unprecedented rash of whale and dolphin strandings on its shoreline that have been widely blamed on the offshore wind industry, New Jersey will deploy a whale detection buoy to “mitigate risks associated with vessel strikes and future construction noise”.

The buoy is part of the state’s beefed-up offshore wind environmental research and monitoring efforts announced by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) today.

The $2m will fund research efforts, including genetic and behavioural studies, while also financing the state’s membership in the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA), an advocacy group aimed at investigating the sector’s impacts on fisheries.

“These projects will continue to advance the collection of baseline scientific information that will help ensure the responsible development and operation of offshore wind facilities that protect our coastline and its natural resources.” said DEP commissioner Shawn LaTourette.

Since December, however, more than a dozen whales and multiple dolphins have washed up on its and neighbouring New York’s beaches. Opponents blame on ongoing survey activities in Atlantic Shores and Orsted’s lease areas, as well as in the New York Bight for the deaths.

Governor Phil Murphy, a strong industry supporter, called the claims “unfounded” and “motivated not by a concern for our environment, but by their own political ideologies”.

“We are deeply committed to doing all we can to ensure our offshore wind projects are implemented in as ecologically responsible a way as possible,” said NJBPU president Joseph Fiordaliso.

RMI has already spent some $8m on funding the first tranche of grants to universities and research institutes to gather baseline data critical to gauging the impact of the industry on regional ocean ecosystems.

Data gathered by the whale detection buoy will be used to inform the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOOA)’s slow zones for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.

It will also help optimise the response time of warning signals sent to vessels, educate stakeholders on the capabilities of this technology, and foster “dialogue about how to implement near real-time acoustic monitoring into wind energy development activities”, according to the state.

The grants include $682,000 awarded to Stockton University and the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to assess the impacts of offshore wind-related activities on harbour seals.