Offshore wind energy is an important renewable natural resource. However, relatively little research has been carried out in the United States of the short and long-term ecological effects of offshore turbines on marine species and habitats. To help fill this information gap, BRI launched a Wildlife Science and Marine Wind Energy Initiative, which became the catalyst for multiple projects related to this issue, including:

• Wildlife and Offshore Wind in New York State
• Wildlife Science and Marine Wind Energy Initiative

• Reducing the Adverse Effects of Offshore Wind Development on Waterbirds in the Great Lakes
• Stereo-Optic High Definition Imaging

The siting of marine wind energy development hinges, in part, on a better understanding of the extent of direct and indirect environmental impacts. In early 2012, BRI began its first project to establish baseline information on animal distributions and habitat use offshore. This information will be used to assess potential risks to wildlife and to attempt to minimize the effects of planned offshore development on birds, marine mammals, and sea turtles.

Projects with a focus on offshore baseline studies include:

• Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies
  • Boat Surveys
  • Aerial Surveys
• Maryland Offshore Wildlife Studies
• Aerial Surveys for Waterbirds in Eastern Lake Erie

BRI's findings from a 2010 Saw-whet Owl study indicated that coastal habitats and islands may be important stopover areas for these owls during migration. This project was the beginning of a series of coastal and offshore migration studies on a variety of migrating birds, including raptors and songbirds. Projects include: 

• Characterizing the Diurnal and Nocturnal Raptor Migration in Coastal Maine
  • Tracking Northern Saw-whet Owls along the Coast of Maine
  • Characterizing the Diurnal and Nocturnal Raptor Migration at Monhegan Island, Maine
• Migratory Bird and Bat Monitoring in the Thousand Islands Region of New York State

Our Wildlife and Renewable Energy Program works collaboratively with BRI's other programs to share data and techniques to enhance our overall knowledge of wildlife and ecosystems that may be affected by development of alternative energy. Examples of these multidisciplinary projects include:

• Understanding Predator-Prey Relationships Across Multiple Scales
• Developing Monitoring Protocols for Automated Radio Telemetry at Offshore Wind Farms
• Meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of curtailment at different cut-in speeds in reducing bat mortality at terrestrial wind farms
• Atlantic and Great Lakes Sea Duck Migration Study 
• Maine Common Eider Satellite Telemetry Study
• Seascribe Offshore Survey App
• Tracking Eastern Small-footed Bats to Rock Roosts at Acadia National Park
• Migration Study of Northern Long-eared and Eastern Small-footed bats in Coastal Massachusetts
• Movements of Red-throated Loons along Coastal United States and Eastern Canada