Partnership to help offshore wind energy operations occur in a healthy, functioning ocean ecosystem
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| A small vessel near wind turbines off Rhode Island. Credit: URI Coastal Resources Center |
NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the University of Rhode Island have signed a 5-year formal partnership agreement to research how offshore wind energy development will affect marine ecosystems and the people who live near, or work on, the ocean.
“Our science center and URI bring a deep bench of
scientific expertise and experience in oceanography, marine life, fisheries,
and coastal communities,” said Jon Hare, who leads the center. “I am delighted about
this opportunity to leverage our capabilities to better understand the
interactions between offshore wind development and marine ecosystems.”
Under the agreement, the multidisciplinary approach will
focus on understanding these complicated relationships on an ecosystem level.
For example, an early project under the agreement is to create an integrated
ecosystem assessment for the Gulf of Maine, linking fishing, the
environment, and offshore wind energy development.
“Integrating offshore wind energy responsibly and resourcefully into our already complex and increasingly crowded marine ecosystems and environments is a priority issue for URI leadership,” said Bethany Jenkins, URI’s interim Vice President for Research and Academic Development.
Specifically, the partnership will streamline the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ability to efficiently and
effectively tap into URI science, outreach, and education expertise and
resources. It will allow NOAA to respond to pressing and shared marine
resources issues tied to offshore wind energy development. NOAA and URI are
considering efforts to ensure that vessel-based data captured on commercial
fish species can be adapted to accommodate navigation in wind farms.
The partnership was made through a cooperative
research and development agreement, which allows federal and
non-federal partners to do collaborative research. Through these agreements,
NOAA and non-federal partners share ideas, technical expertise, facilities, and
other research materials.
The center’s wind energy team is primarily located in
Narragansett, Rhode Island, steps away from the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. The center
works to promote sustainability of marine life in the region, support seafood
harvests, sustain coastal communities, and generate economic opportunities and
benefits from the use of these resources.
The URI Coastal Resources Center at the Graduate
School of Oceanography, Rhode Island Sea Grant, and the Coastal Institute are
providing key support for the university in the partnership. They will draw on
expertise and collaboration from other URI entities, including the College of the Environment and
Life Sciences and the Ocean Engineering Department/College of Engineering.
The university has been a leader in research, outreach,
education, and workforce development issues for more than a decade. It was
instrumental in assisting the state with the science and policy work necessary
to create the Rhode Island Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP), which provided the siting and management
of the Block Island Wind Farm, the country’s first, when it became operational
in 2016.
Offshore wind energy development is a key component for
ensuring the nation’s energy security in the years to come. This collaboration
will help ensure that offshore wind energy operations occur in a healthy,
functioning ocean ecosystem that continues to support marine life, ocean
livelihoods, and the coastal communities in our region.
For more information on CRADAs and other ways to partner
with NOAA, visit our Technology Partnerships Office. Any reference
obtained from this website to a specific company, product, process, or service
does not constitute or imply an endorsement by NOAA.
Additional information is available at:
NOAA Fisheries Offshore Wind Energy
URI Offshore Renewable Energy
Wind Energy Development in the Northeast
Fisheries Management and Offshore Wind
