An assessment of high-risk regions for seabirds in the Gulf of Maine draft call area

Stepanuk, J.; Gilbert, A.; Stenhouse, I.; Dodgin, S.; Goodale, W. (2023). An assessment of high-risk regions for seabirds in the Gulf of Maine draft call area. Report by Biodiversity Research Institute. Report for Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW).

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Abstract

In January 2023, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a draft call area for the siting of offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine. In response to the draft call area, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) and the Maine Governor’s Energy Office submitted a comment to BOEM highlighting the importance of coastal foraging habitat for nesting marine birds, particularly in nearshore shallow regions around banks and ledges, based on the results of this desktop analysis conducted by the BRI.

This analysis included multiple developed layers based on recommendations from MDIFW, integrated analyses of risk and vulnerability, and core habitat use determined from seabird telemetry tracking. The layers developed in this report were used to determine which lease blocks comprise the highest risk to seabirds within the draft call area.