State environmental officials and utility regulators announced last week a program for the deployment of “archival passive acoustic monitoring equipment to understand better the distribution and habitat space for whales, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale. That same day, the DEP and BPU announced nearly $2 million in additional funding ” to insure the safe, responsible and eco-friendly development of offshore wind.”
The project calls for a whale detection buoy off the coast of Atlantic City. The buoy will act as a listening device for whales with any detections being analyzed and provided to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Slow Zones for Right Whales programs to alleviate threats stemming from vessel strikes and future construction noise. NOAA Fisheries may notify vessel operators to slow to a speed of 10 knots or less, avoiding deadly strikes. If a whale is detected, mariners are urged to avoid the area entirely or reduce speed for a period of 15 days.
The has been on the endangered list for more than five decades, and there are currently only an estimated 350 North Atlantic right whales remaining, with fewer than 70 breeding females, according to NOAA.
Another part of the project involves Stockton University, calling for a study of New Jersey’s harbor seals within the offshore wind lease areas. Harbor seals will be tagged with a collection of baseline health data, such as stress hormones. It will help assess the impacts of future offshore construction and operation on harbor seals. Stockton will receive $682,890 for the study.
“We are deeply committed to doing all we can to ensure our offshore wind projects are implemented in as ecologically responsible a way as possible,” said NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. “We are excited about the grants and their ability to assist us in protecting the environment as we move forward to reach Gov. Murphy’s goal of 11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040.”
