Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Winter 2018-2019 Digital Survey #11

Normandeau Associates Inc (2019). Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy Summary of Winter 2018-2019 Digital Survey #11 . Report by Normandeau Associates Inc. Report for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

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Abstract

The third winter survey for the NYSERDA Offshore planning area (OPA) was started on February 3, 2019 and completed February 17, 2019. These surveys are designed to characterize the usage of the area by marine fauna to aid in the planning for offshore wind. The survey was undertaken by one APEM camera technician using the Shearwater 3 camera system with an image resolution of 1.5 cm. A Piper Aztec twin engine aircraft was used. Low level cloud meant that the survey had to be executed at an average flight altitude of 1,320 ft, rather than at the planned flight height of 1,360 ft. The survey team was based out of MacArthur Airport in Long Island, New York, for the duration of the survey.