On February 15, 2024, the Sea Turtle and Protected Fish Species Subcommittees hosted an Acoustic Telemetry Workshop. These subcommittees identified acoustic telemetry as a key research and management tool in support of environmental monitoring for offshore wind (OSW). The subcommittees also recognize a need for additional coordination around acoustic telemetry deployments, data management, and research for offshore wind and wildlife, and hope to determine ways to facilitate regional collaborative research. The specific goals of this initial session were to hear perspectives from… [More]

January 25, 2024 View the recording of the RWSC Science Plan Release Webinar, held on February 9, 2024. The Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC) today released the first collaborative research plan to guide studies of interactions between offshore wind and wildlife on the U.S. East Coast. “This Science Plan provides the blueprint for the region’s future work,” said Emily Shumchenia, the director of the RWSC. “It’s also a call to action to collaborate on advancing our understanding of offshore wind and marine ecosystems.” The Integrated… [More]

Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind Partners with the Center for Ocean Leadership The Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC) has established a partnership with the Center for Ocean Leadership to facilitate research related to offshore wind and wildlife in U.S. Atlantic waters. The Center for Ocean Leadership’s added capacity helps ensure that the RWSC can execute important offshore wind research in a timely and coordinated manner. “This is an important step to accelerate critical research on offshore wind and ocean wildlife,”… [More]

RWSC Director Emily Shumchenia joined NOAA, BOEM, and DOE leadership, as well as representatives from eNGOs, the research community, and the offshore wind industry in Washington, DC, at a Summit on Advancing Technologies for Whale Conservation and Responsible Offshore Wind Development. The objectives of the Summit were to share information among groups advancing tools to support the real-time detection and monitoring of marine mammals, and to announce the launch of a collaborative workshop series. The RWSC Technology Subcommittee has been developing concepts for a Technology… [More]

Download the RWSC Research Summary: Power Analysis for the Optimal Design of a Passive Acoustic Monitoring Network for US East Coast Offshore Wind A brief handout summarizing the results and intended uses of the RWSC Marine Mammal Subcommittee’s recent passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) study is now available. The Subcommittee conducted a simulation study to assess the statistical power of a regional PAM network to detect potential changes in baleen whale distribution or acoustic behavior associated with wind farm construction and operation. The RWSC and partners will… [More]