Evaluating Tools and Technologies for Monitoring Baleen Whales During Offshore Wind Foundation Installation

Offshore wind energy facilities are currently being planned and installed in United States (U.S.) waters in accordance with regulations and processes designed to avoid negative effects on federally-protected baleen whales and other marine mammals. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) oversees planning, leasing, construction, operations, and eventual decommissioning of offshore wind energy projects in federal waters. In this role, BOEM consults and coordinates with other state and federal agencies, including with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, to meet requirements of the Endangered Species Act. Offshore wind developers consults with NOAA Fisheries directly to obtain an authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. To minimize potential impacts of offshore wind energy activities - including site characterization surveys, vessel traffic, and pile driving during construction - on baleen whales and other marine mammals, BOEM and NOAA Fisheries require project proponents to submit detailed marine mammal monitoring and mitigation plans, under all visibility conditions, prior to project start. If pile driving activities are proposed in low- and no-visibility conditions (e.g., darkness, rain, fog), the project proponent must submit an Alternative Monitoring Plan (AMP) that describes in detail the proposed monitoring protocols and equipment to be used in these conditions. As of this writing, no AMPs for initiating pile installation at night have been approved for an offshore wind project in the U.S. The ability to install offshore wind foundations in low visibility and in darkness is of interest to offshore wind energy developers and other stakeholders because of increased project schedule flexibility and compression of construction time windows, thereby reducing the overall duration of in-water foundation installation activities, which may reduce potential impacts to marine life. Several available monitoring technologies have the potential to detect whales in low- and no- light conditions, but no standardized approach currently exists to characterize the functional performance of these technologies.