Abstract
The objectives of the workshop:
- Consider a regional strategy for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and data collection for marine mammals for northwest Atlantic areas of offshore wind development from Maine to the Carolinas, with some emphasis on species of concern, including, but not limited to, the North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW).
- Consider approaches for acoustic data management and coordination
- Explore more consistent approaches to PAM including equipment specifications, study design, collection, analysis, and storage for data before and after wind farm construction with a goal of detecting regional changes in marine mammal habitat use patterns
In summary, the workshop participants:
- Reviewed a 20 x20 grid monitoring design for placement of PAM detectors across whale habitat off the US east Outer Continental Shelf (OCS);
- Explored details relating to minimum standards for stationary PAM detectors;
- Explore potential study designs that could be part of an overall grid monitoring design to address questions specific to wind energy areas or to further understand movement between major subareas of the coast;
- Discuss the opportunities and barriers for such a regional approach, including but not limited to cost, allocation of costs and responsibilities, challenges of maintaining 2 detectors over longer periods of time and the hypotheses that can be tested with such an approach.
- Many, but not all participants as invited, agreed the proposed regional monitoring design is important and would be feasible over time, and suggested improvements and refinements to advance the approach (a list of workshop participants can be found in Appendix B).