Project

Expert Advice for Sustainable Offshore Wind Development

Sharing fisheries expertise to guide responsible offshore wind development and research.

GMRI staff and researchers hold expertise on relevant fisheries and marine topics to inform the responsible and sustainable development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. As leaders in their field, GMRI staff will provide expertise and guide research priorities to inform both regional and national development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.

Project Goals:

Provide ongoing assistance and advice in efforts to engage fisheries communities in the development of offshore wind.
Discuss the state of science and pressing concerns related to the development of offshore wind and its potential impacts on fisheries.
Provide advice and guidance on the thoughtful development of floating offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine.
Identify research priorities to address the opportunities and challenges caused by the deployment of floating offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine.

Since 2009, GMRI staff and scientists have been stewarding the relationship between offshore wind development and fisheries.

Former GMRI CEO, Don Perkins, served in various advisory roles for offshore wind development in Maine. Most recently, he served on the Advisory Committee for the Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap to provide guidance to the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) on the vision and development of the Roadmap. In this role, Don supported efforts to recommend criteria, standards, and protocols for siting and leasing future offshore wind projects; prioritize data, research, and monitoring to inform the development process; and suggest research priorities.

Dr. Graham Sherwood served on the Environment and Wildlife Working Group for the Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap to support efforts to identify best practices, data gaps, and research needs to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts of offshore wind on birds, bats, marine mammals, and other protected species and address broader environmental impacts to habitat.

Currently, Dr. Graham Sherwood and Dr. Kanae Tokunaga serve on the Advisory Board for the Offshore Wind Research Consortium. In this role, they provide their expertise in ecology and economics to guide research priorities regarding offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine.

Chief Science Officer, Dr. Janet Duffy-Anderson serves on the National Academy of Sciences Standing Committee on Offshore Wind and Fisheries which provides guidance and advice to BOEM on the national level.

Energy Solutions Senior Program Manager, Hannah MacDonald serves on the steering committee for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory LIFT: A Community of Practice to UpLIFT Equity and Justice in Wind Energy Deployment, and the Research Council of Norway International Advisory Board: Co-existence between Fisheries and Offshore Wind.

These appointments enable GMRI to offer strategic advice based on our expertise as well as serve as a conduit between offshore wind development and fisheries.