At the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Office, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory are jointly leading the U.S. Offshore Wind Synthesis of Environmental Effects Research (SEER) project. The multi-year collaborative effort facilitates knowledge transfer of offshore wind energy research from around the world to inform research needs applicable to U.S. waters.
As part of this effort, the SEER team has synthesized a set of research recommendations to inform future funding opportunities and research programming. An initial list of research recommendations was compiled from written resources relevant to the environmental effects of potential offshore wind energy development on the Pacific Coast. Resources and recommendations were reviewed by a diverse range of stakeholders during a three-part workshop held in May 2022, and finalized by the SEER team in September 2022.
The full list of research recommendations can be downloaded here.
| Research Recommendation | Stressor | Receptor | Development Phase | Location | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Assess Primary and Secondary Entanglement Risk Associated with OSW Development Assess entanglement risks to marine mammals and sea turtles listed under the ESA and/or protected under the MMPA during activities to support OSW....Read more |
Entanglement | Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles | Operations & Maintenance | Pacific Coast | Maxwell et al. (2022) |
|
Collect spatial data (including baselines) on whale and sea turtle abundance, distributions, and migratory pathways Basic biological data are lacking for a number of whale species (e.g., humpback, fin, gray, minke, North Pacific Right Whales) and sea turtles....Read more |
N/A | Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles | Pre-construction, Construction, Operations & Maintenance | Pacific Coast | Gitschlag et al. (2021), Southall et al. (2021) |
|
Establish methodological standards for evaluating species-specific collision risk with OSW turbines Use empirical data, collected at each site and incorporating wind and wave conditions, seabird behavior state, detailed flight characteristics by season...Read more |
Attraction, Collision | Bats, Birds | Construction, Operations & Maintenance | Pacific Coast | Cook et al. (2021), Hein et al. (2021) |
|
Study the behavioral response to sound exposure (baseline, response, measurement) Determine acoustic thresholds for fish and invertebrates and conduct behavioral response studies. Determine how the acoustic signature changes for....Read more |
Noise | Fish, Invertebrates | Pre-construction, Construction, Operations & Maintenance | Pacific Coast | Popper et al. (2021), Popper et al. (2022) |
|
Understand sediment transport in offshore wind areas and changes to seafloor productivity Determine whether wind energy farms could interfere with the process of sediment transport....Read more |
Habitat Change | Fish, Invertebrates | Pre-construction, Construction, Operations & Maintenance | Pacific Coast | Degraer et al. (2021) |