Future Fisheries and the Design and Operation of Nature-Inclusive Offshore Wind Farms

The U.S. offshore wind energy resource is enormous and coastal states have made significant commitments to have increasing portions of their electricity supply come from offshore wind energy to help them achieve their climate goals. The development of offshore wind farms is hampered by many challenges including conflicts in the shared-use of the ocean with fisheries. The Offshore Wind Industry recognizes that to develop OW at a large scale in the U.S., they must include nature inclusive design that provides net-positive benefits to the environment including fisheries and associated communities. With support from the National Science Foundation, the MOCEAN team is hosting workshops, supporting field missions, and conducting other activities that are aimed at forming relationships with national, foreign, and international groups and individuals to co-create plans for the design and operation of nature-inclusive offshore wind farms. A primary focus on the MOCEAN team is to support the transition of fisheries to a future co-existence with planned offshore wind development. Leveraging the availability of existing ecological/fisheries datasets and co-existent oceanographic /atmospheric models, we will co-develop, with stakeholders and fishing industry partners, research, innovation, and product development that support the transition to a new blue future fisheries economy that co-exists with offshore wind. This presentation will introduce MOCEAN and opportunities to participate in MOCEAN future fisheries activities and for other collaborations.

Presentation Preference: Oral

Primary Presenter: Josh Kohut, Rutgers University (kohut@marine.rutgers.edu)

Authors:

Daphne Munroe, Rutgers University  (dmunroe@hsrl.rutgers.edu)

Dan Kuchma, Tufts University  (dan.kuchma@tufts.edu)

Fara Courrtney, Outer Harbor Consulting  (fcourt@outer-harbor.com)