Vessel Strike

A collision between a vessel and a marine animal in the ocean.

The installation and maintenance of marine energy and offshore wind energy involves additional marine operations that may increase the risk of vessel strike, which is a collision between a vessel (e.g., boat, ship) and a marine animal in the ocean. Vessel strikes are an ongoing threat to many marine animals around the world, particularly in heavy traffic areas near ports, transit routes, and developed coastlines. Marine life, primarily marine mammals and sea turtles, that spend time near the sea surface or in areas where vessel routes overlap with key habitats have the potential to be struck by vessels. Animal behavior and other factors influence the likelihood of a vessel strike occurring and vary temporally, seasonally, spatially, by species, and in different environmental conditions. Potential mitigation measures such as protected species observers (PSOs), route restrictions, and vessel speed restrictions can reduce the risk of vessel strike. 

For more information relevant to offshore wind energy, check out the Presence of Vessels: Effects of Vessel Collision on Marine Life research brief produced by SEER.

Affiliated Marine and Wind Energy Environmental Documents

Total results: 61
Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
Sustainability Assessment of an Oscillating Water Column During the Design, Installation, Operation, and Disassembly Phases Gallego-Ramírez, C., López-Mosquera, J., Chica, E. Journal Article Marine Energy, Wave Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts
Glider Surveillance for Near-Real-Time Detection and Spatial Management of North Atlantic Right Whales Indeck, K., Baumgartner, M., Lecavalier, L. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Entanglement, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Environmental Effects of Offshore Wind Energy in the Gulf of Mexico: Compilation of Educational Research Briefs [Booklet] Severy, M., Farr, H., Richlen, M. Summary Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Technology Gaps for Monitoring Birds and Marine Mammals at Offshore Wind Facilities Courbis, S., Williams, K., Stepanuk, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Marine Mammals
Evaluating the Impacts of Offshore Wind‬ Development on Marine Ecosystems‬ ‭ King, C. Thesis Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Entanglement, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Wind Energy: Technologies and Approaches to Help Address Environmental Effects United States Government Accountability Office Report Wind Energy Attraction, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts
The Potential Environmental Impacts of Floating Offshore Wind in California California Ocean Science Trust Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals
Evaluating drivers of recent large whale strandings on the East Coast of the United States Thorne, L., Wiley, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Using a Mechanical Whale to Test Automatic Whale Blow Detection with Applications to Offshore Wind Development Eaton, R., Prisco, J., Everson, J. Conference Paper Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Will wind development adversely impact North Atlantic right whales through an increase in vessel traffic? Bishop, A. Thesis Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Primary vs grey: A critical evaluation of literature sources used to assess the impacts of offshore wind farms Szostek, C., Edwards-Jones, A., Beaumont, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, Habitat Change, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions
Offshore Wind Facts: Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Special Initiative on Offshore Wind Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Thornton Bank Offshore Wind Farm Annual Report 2023 Magnus, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality
A management-focused population viability analysis for North Atlantic right whales Runge, M., Linden, D., Hostetler, J. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Entanglement, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Offshore Wind Energy Development and North Atlantic Right Whales Silber, G., Dangerfield, A., Smith, J. Report Wind Energy Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Thornton Bank Offshore Wind Farm Annual Report 2022 Magnus, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment
Update on Strandings of Large Whales along the East Coast Marine Mammal Commission Report Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Environmental Effects of U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Development: Compilation of Educational Research Briefs SEER, Green, R., Hein, C. Summary Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles
Offshore Wind Lease Issuance, Site Characterization, and Site Assessment: Central and Northern California Reeb, D., Schroeder, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
Presence of Vessels: Effects of Vessel Collision on Marine Life SEER Summary Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Sea Turtles
South Fork Wind: Conditions of Construction and Operations Plan Approval Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Collision, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Marine Mammals
Reducing Vessel Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales NOAA Fisheries Website Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Understanding Vessel Strikes NOAA Fisheries Website Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Reptiles
Marine Mammals on the West Coast: Vessel Strikes NOAA Fisheries Website Vessel Strike Marine Mammals
Marine Mammals Workgroup Report for the State of the Science Workshop on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy 2020: Cumulative Impacts Southall, B., Morse, L., Williams, K. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals
Potential environmental effects of deepwater floating offshore wind energy facilities Farr, H., Ruttenberg, B., Walter, R. Journal Article Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
Risk Assessment to Model Encounter Rates between Large Whales and Sea Turtles and Vessel Traffic from Offshore Wind Energy on the Atlantic OCS Barkaszi, M., Fonseca, M., Foster, T. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Reptiles, Human Dimensions, Navigation
Estimating effectiveness of speed reduction measures for decreasing whale-strike mortality in a high-risk region Rockwood, R., Adams, J., Silber, G. Journal Article Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Existing Conditions and Potential Environmental Effects HT Harvey and Associates Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment
North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) Vessel Speed Rule Assessment NOAA Fisheries Report Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
A Global Review of Vessel Collisions With Marine Animals Schoeman, R., Patterson-Abrolat, C., Plon, S. Journal Article Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Navigation
Summary of Discussions from the Marine Mammal Specialist Committee of the Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Noise, Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Navigation
Economic Analysis of the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Restriction Rule Industrial Economics Inc Report Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
The State of the Science on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy Development: Workshop Proceedings Gulka, J., Williams, K. Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Reptiles
Differential Vulnerability to Ship Strikes Between Day and Night for Blue, Fin, and Humpback Whales Based on Dive and Movement Data From Medium Duration Archival Tags Calambokidis, J., Fahlbusch, J., Szesciorka, A. Journal Article Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Monitoring of Marine Mammal Strandings Along French Coasts Reveals the Importance of Ship Strikes on Large Cetaceans: A Challenge for the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive Peltier, H., Beaufils, A., Cesarini, C. Journal Article Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Best Management Practices for North Atlantic Right Whales During Offshore Wind Energy Construction and Operations Along the U.S. East Coast Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Vessel Strike Marine Mammals, Cetaceans
Environmental Sensitivity and Associated Risk to Habitats and Species Offshore Central California and Hawaii from Offshore Floating Wind Technologies Morandi, A., Berkman, S., Rowe, J. Report Wind Energy, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
High mortality of blue, humpback and fin whales from modeling of vessel collisions on the U.S. West Coast suggests population impacts and insufficient protection Rockwood, R., Calambokidis, J., Jahncke, J. Journal Article Vessel Strike Marine Mammals
Renewables, Shipping, and Protected Species: A Vanishing Opportunity for Effective Marine Spatial Planning? Petruny, L., Wright, A., Smith, C. Book Chapter Noise, Vessel Strike Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation
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