Offshore Wind Energy Impacts on Fisheries: Investigating Uncharted Waters in Research and Monitoring
Tuesday, August 21, 2017, 4:20 p.m. – 5:20 p.m.
Atlantic City Convention Center, 3rd floor, Room 301
Offshore wind energy development is poised to rapidly expand in the U.S., with the mid-Atlantic as the epicenter of development of this renewable energy source. Offshore wind energy has the potential to reduce traditional fossil fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions which in turn could reduce the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification and improve the outlook for fisheries already experiencing the effects of climate change. Regional and international experts will converge in Atlantic City this August at the AFS Annual Meeting for a panel discussion to explore the trade-offs inherent in offshore wind energy development, discuss current fisheries impacts, research gaps and the need for long-term regional monitoring on the front-end of large-scale wind energy development projects. AFS will explore how it can contribute to the scientific and policy dialogue on this topic. The one-hour panel will be a part of a larger symposium on this topic.
Panelists include:
- Catherine Bowes, Program Director, Offshore Wind Energy, National Wildlife Federation
- Brian Hooker, Marine Biologist, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs
- Anne Hawkins, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (commercial fisheries perspective)
- Kevin D.E. Stokesbury, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, School for Marine Science and Technology
- Hywel Roberts, Lead Environment Specialist, Environmental Management UK Wind Power, Orsted
- Andrew Lipsky, Planning Officer, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center