University of Rhode Island | Graduate School of Oceanography
December 11-12, 2017
The Southern New England Offshore Wind Energy Science Forum took place on December 11-12, 2017 at URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus and showcased the completed and ongoing research that is taking place at the Block Island Wind Farm within Southern New England to improve the management and development of offshore wind energy. This 2-day event presented the priority research topics of interest to resource users- including fishermen, municipalities, and recreational boaters – and state and federal regulators. Topics included the effects of the construction and operation of offshore wind farms on habitat, fish, marine mammals, avian species, and people.
This event was organized by the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography, URI Coastal Resources Center and sponsored by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council and U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with financial support from Deepwater Wind, Rhode Island Sea Grant and VHB.
FINAL AGENDA PDF
Video Recordings
Day 1, morning session | Day 1, afternoon session
Day 2, morning session | Day 2, afternoon session
Summary Notes
Science Forum Summary Notes
Links to presentations are highlighted below within agenda listing:
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY SCIENCE FORUM
University of Rhode Island . Graduate School of Oceanography
December 11-12, 2017
MAJOR QUESTIONS:
1. What have we learned from the Block Island Wind Farm research?
2. What relevant information do we know for the Southern New England region?
3. How do we apply what we have learned to future development?
4. Discuss/respond to concerns/questions from stakeholders.
Monday, December 11
9 a.m. Welcome and Setting the Stage
Moderator: Jennifer McCann, University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center (CRC)/Rhode Island Sea Grant
•James Bennett, Chief of the Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management (BOEM)
•Grover Fugate, Executive Director, Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC)
•Bill White, Senior Director, Offshore Wind Sector Development, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
•Carol Grant, Commissioner, Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
9:30 a.m. The Block Island Wind Farm and Beyond: What have we learned?
Moderator: Jennifer McCann, CRC/Rhode Island Sea Grant
•Jeffrey Grybowski, CEO, Deepwater Wind
10 a.m. What Drives the Science? A Discussion
Moderator: Tyler Studds, Senior Manager, Offshore Wind Sector Development, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
•Mary Boatman, Science Coordinator for the Office of Renewable Energy Programs, BOEM
•Grover Fugate, Executive Director, CRMC
•Bruce Carlisle, Director, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
•Aileen Kenney, Vice President of Permitting and Environmental Affairs, Deepwater Wind
10:45 a.m. Break
11 a.m. Stakeholder Observations
Moderator: Dave Prescott, South County Coastkeeper, Save the Bay
•Cash Shuman, Staff Reporter and Web Editor, The Block Island Times
•Scott Comings, Associate State Director – Rhode Island, The Nature Conservancy
•Catherine Bowes, Senior Manager, National Wildlife Federation
•Chris Brown, Commercial Fisherman
•Edward Anthes-Washburn, Director, Port of New Bedford
12 p.m. Lunch
1 p.m Marine Mammals
Moderator: Amy Moses, Vice President and Director of Conservation Law Foundation Rhode Island
•Rick Usher, Operations Manager, and Lauren Wahl, Project Manager, A.I.S. Observers, Inc.
•Scott Kraus, Vice President and Senior Adviser, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, Chief Scientist, Marine Mammals
•Jim Miller, Professor, and Gopu Potty, Associate Research Professor, URI Ocean Engineering
•Julie Crocker, Acting Assistant Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, Greater Atlantic Region, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries
2:15 p.m. Fish Science
Moderator: Kathryn Ford, Fisheries Habitat Program Manager, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
•Drew Carey, Principal Scientist/Managing Partner, Inspire Environmental
•Julia Livermore, Principal Marine Biologist, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
•Jeremy Collie, Professor, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
•Kevin Stokesbury, Professor of Fisheries Oceanography, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
•John King, Professor, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
3:30 p.m. Fisheries
Moderator: Dave Beutel, Aquaculture and Fisheries Coordinator, CRMC
•Rick Bellavance, President, Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association
•Lanny Dellinger, Fishermen’s Advisory Board, CRMC
•Elizabeth Marchetti, Fisheries Liaison, Block Island Wind Farm
•Sue Tuxbury, Fishery Biologist, NOAA Fisheries
•Edward LeBlanc, Chief of the Waterways Management Division for Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England
4:45 p.m. Adjourn to Reception
________________________________
Tuesday, December 12
8:30 a.m. Welcome and Thoughts from Yesterday
Moderator: Jennifer McCann, CRC/Rhode Island Sea Grant
9 a.m. Habitat
Moderator: Chris McGuire, Marine Program Director – Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy
•Drew Carey, Principal Scientist/Managing Partner, Inspire Environmental
•Monique Lafrance Bartley, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
•Kevin Stokesbury, Professor of Fisheries Oceanography, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
•Sue Tuxbury, Fishery Biologist, NOAA Fisheries
10 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m. Birds and Bats
Moderator: Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations, Mass Audubon
•Peter Paton, Professor, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
•Dick Veit, Professor, College of Staten Island, City University of New York
•Pam Loring, Biologist, and Scott Johnston, Chief of Populations Branch, Division of Migratory Birds, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
•Bob Roy, Senior Project Manager, Stantec
11:15 a.m. Social Observations
Moderator: Tiffany Smythe, Coastal Research Associate, CRC; Extension Specialist, Rhode Island
Sea Grant
•Judy Gray, Vice President, Block Island Maritime Institute
•Jessica Willi, Executive Director, Block Island Tourism Council
•Dave Monti, Captain, No Fluke Charter Fishing and Tours
•Chris Willi, Captain, Block Island Fishworks & Sandy Point Fly Leaders
12:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 p.m. Tribal
Moderator: Teresa Crean, Coastal Research Associate, CRC; Extension Specialist, Rhode Island Sea Grant
•Bettina Washington, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)
•John King, Professor, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
•David Robinson Marine Archaeologist, URI Graduate School of Oceanography
2:10 p.m. Community Impacts
Moderator: Tracey Dalton, Professor, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
•Amelia Moore, Assistant Professor, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
•David Bidwell, Assistant Professor, URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
•Gordon Perkins, Senior Project Manager, EDR
3:05 p.m. Engineering, Construction, Operations and Maintenance: Lessons Learned
Moderator: Nils Bolgen, Program Director, Offshore Wind, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
•John O’Keefe, Manager of Operations & Maintenance and Marine Affairs, Deepwater Wind
•Chris van Beek, President, Deepwater Wind
•Rain Byars, Principal Engineer and Project Manager for Block Island, ABS Group
3:50 p.m. Wrap up
Moderator: Jennifer McCann, CRC/Rhode Island Sea Grant
•James Bennett, Chief of the Office of Renewable Energy Programs, BOEM
•Grover Fugate, Executive Director, CRMC
•Bruce Carlisle, Director, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
•Aileen Kenney, Vice President of Permitting and Environmental Affairs, Deepwater Wind
4:15 p.m. Adjourn
Contact Jennifer McCann, mccann@crc.uri.edu (401-874-6127) for more information.
Sponsors: Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council,U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, VHB ,URI GSO and CRC.
Thanks to Deepwater Wind and Rhode Island Sea Grant for financially supporting this event.
Additional Resources
Marine Mammals:
Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species II
Real-time Opportunity for Development Environmental Observations (RODEO) – Assessment of Sound, Evaluation of visual activities
Fish Science:
Fishery Physical Habitat and Epibenthic Invertebrate Baseline Data Collection
Comprehensive Seafloor Substrate Mapping and Model Validation in the Atlantic
Fishing/Offshore Wind Mitigation Measures Development Workshops
Final Report on Best Management Practices and Mitigation Measures
Fisheries:
Socio-Economic Impact of Outer Continental Shelf Wind Energy Development on Fisheries in the U.S. Atlantic (2017) Volume 1, Volume 2
Identification of OCS Renewable Energy Space-Use Conflicts and Analysis of Potential Mitigation
Birds and Bats:
Determining Offshore Use by Diving Marine Birds Using Satellite Telemetry
Tribal:
Community Impacts:
Real-time Opportunity for Development Environmental Observations (RODEO) – Assessment of Sound, Evaluation of visual activities
Atlantic Region Wind Energy Development: Recreation and Tourism Economic Baseline Development
The Identification of Port Modifications and their Environmental and Socioeconomic Consequences
Evaluation of Lighting Schemes for Offshore Wind Facilities and Impacts to Local Environments
Engineering, Construction, Operations and Maintenance:
Observing Cable Laying and Particle Settlement During the Construction of the Block Island Wind Farm