Scientists have investigated the whale fatalities that occurred off New Jersey’s coast during the winter of 2022-23, raising concerns about whether survey activities in the area played a role in these deaths. The Marine Mammal Commission has stated that there is no evidence linking the whales’ deaths to the development of wind energy; many fatalities were attributed to collisions with vessels. Nevertheless, researchers are worried that the heightened activity of survey ships in and around New Jersey waters could have worsened the situation.
During the winter of 2022-2023, nearly a dozen whales perished off the New Jersey coastline, close to areas proposed for wind farm development. This alarming situation led to fears that the associated survey work might have influenced the whales’ mortality.
Michael Stocker from Ocean Conservation Research is set to present his findings on Thursday, Nov. 21, during the virtual 187th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, scheduled from Nov. 18-22, 2024.
To achieve clean energy aspirations and lower carbon emissions, developers are increasingly looking to install wind turbines in U.S. East Coast waters. There are already three offshore wind farms in operation, with several additional ones in the planning or construction stages. These farms are expected to produce a substantial amount of carbon-free electricity, aiding coastal states in reaching their decarbonization objectives.
The growing number of wind turbines in coastal regions and the noise from construction and surveys have raised concerns regarding their effect on marine ecosystems. Cetaceans, including whales and dolphins, are particularly vulnerable to the sounds and increased boat traffic associated with these installations.
Despite these concerns, the Marine Mammal Commission, a federal monitoring body, asserts that there is no proof linking the deaths of whales in the New Jersey area during the winter of 2022-2023 to wind energy projects.
Necropsy examinations on the recovered whales revealed that many had died due to ship collisions. The Marine Mammal Commission indicates that such events are not uncommon, nor was the number of whale fatalities during this time markedly above the average. The increase in ship strikes over the past decade is primarily due to the rising number of whales coinciding with more vessels operating in the area.
“For many whale species, population rebounds following the end of commercial whaling have occurred alongside a rise in shipping activities and fishing efforts,” Stocker explained. “This situation has led to more encounters between whales and industrial activities in ocean waters.”
However, Stocker is worried that the growing number of survey ships in New Jersey waters may have intensified the situation.
“Was the occurrence of ship strikes merely coincidental?” Stocker questioned. “Or were they a result of reduced whale awareness due to compounded stress factors?”
Survey vessels are utilized by wind farm developers to conduct seafloor mapping in advance of construction. These vessels employ underwater acoustic tools that can cause stress in marine mammals like whales. While a single survey ship may have minimal impact, Stocker notes that 11 different surveys were actively conducting work in the region from December 2022 to March 2023, and the overall effect of these simultaneous surveys hasn’t been sufficiently assessed.
Stocker hopes his session on Thursday will ignite discussions among participants aimed at finding strategies to reduce whale deaths in the future.
