Abstract
A total of 88 survey responses were received from the fishing industry participants from across the United States. The research priorities were not ranked. In addition to the specific research topics listed herein, a number of respondents suggested general considerations relevant to the role of research in OSW planning. The research recommendations evidenced a clear perception that meaningful interaction has not occurred with the fishing industry during OSW siting processes. The fishing industry has appealed to regulatory authorities to create regional environmental monitoring plans to address a large number of outstanding questions, but observe that research approaches remain piecemeal. Monitoring alone is also considered insufficient to constitute a mitigation practice. Once necessary datasets are gathered, and the scale of potential environmental and socio-economic impacts identified and better understood, adequate strategies must be identified, established, and implemented that would effectively reduce impacts. These mitigation actions should be designed in consultation with the fishing industry and OSW developers to maximize their chances of adoption and success. The fishing industry suggested enhancing opportunities to learn from established OSW projects abroad and recommended analyzing fisheries data from operational projects. Lessons can be learned on a large scale of topics including sedimentation and scour. Respondents recommended that alternative siting strategies be developed that avoid key fishing grounds while benefiting OSW programs, reflecting the general preference to reduce significant negative impacts to both industries. There were also several suggestions to develop and clarify science-based decommissioning strategies from the earliest OSW planning stages.