MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Exploring the mechanisms that link ocean features to North Atlantic Right Whale Habitat Preference in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

MATOS Project Code: ECOPAM

Data Type: Deployment

Project Duration: July 2020 - July 2022

Project Description: The Ørsted Ecosystem and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (ECO-PAM) project is a partnership between Ørsted North America, Rutgers U., Woods Hole Oceanographic, and the U. of Rhode Island. ECO-PAM aims to advance research for detection of N. Atl. right whale, to better understand their presence, distribution, and seasonality, and to contribute to characterization of their habitat in offshore wind lease areas. ECO-PAM will be focused on the Ørsted Ocean Wind lease area off of NJ but will also include sampling in Ørsted lease areas around MA. The project will include two acoustic monitoring buoys deployed by WHOI, an acoustic vector sensor buoy developed by URI, and an autonomous underwater glider deployed by RU. Results will be used to inform and mitigate impacts during construction and operation of offshore wind facilities. In addition to the passive acoustics used to detect whales, gliders will be equipped with VEMCO receivers to detect tagged fish along the glider trajectory.

Objectives:

develop dynamic NARW habitat model

Principal Investigator:	Josh Kohut (Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences)
Email:	kohut@marine.rutgers.edu

Point of Contact:	Laura Nazzaro
Email:	nazzaro@marine.rutgers.edu

Collaborators:

Mark Baumgartner (WHOI)
Joseph Brodie (Rutgers),

Participating Organizations:

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Rhode Island, New England Aquarium

Funding:

Ørsted Ocean Wind

External URL: https://orsted-eco-pam-web-portal.srv.axds.co/