NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management share the final Federal Survey Mitigation Strategy for Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with plans to adapt the strategy for other regions. December 5, 2022
NOAA Fisheries’ surveys are essential for collecting the data necessary to inform the sustainable management of our nation’s fisheries, recovery of protected resources, conservation of habitats and ecosystems, and understanding the impacts of climate change. Offshore wind development can adversely affect NOAA Fisheries’ surveys by precluding access to sampling areas, impacting statistical design, altering habitats, and interfering with survey operations. The joint strategy aims to avoid such impacts.