MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: CFRF South Fork Wind Farm Fine Scale Positioning Acoustic Telemetry Monitoring

MATOS Project Code: CFRFSFWF

Data Type: Data

Project Duration: October 2024 - December 2025

Project Description: The instillation of offshore wind turbines will result in the introduction of hard structure in areas of wind energy development. This environmental change will likely impact the habitat suitability of development areas for species that typically inhabit or migrate through the areas. Species may be drawn to the increase in structure within developments; however, the spatial extent to which they utilize turbine foundations as suitable habitat is relatively unknown. We are monitoring the a single turbine within the South Fork Wind Farm (SFWF) with fine scale acoustic telemetry to determine the spatial scale to which turbine foundations provide habitat for structure associated species in Southern New England. Using a second fine scale array, we are also monitoring an area without wind farm development, but with similar pre-construction rocky reef habitat to the SFWF area in order to compare fish and crustacean behavior around both natural rocky and artificial turbine foundation reefs.

Objectives:

Assess the fine scale behavior of structure associated species around offshore wind turbines

Principal Investigator:	David Bethoney (Mid - Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System)
Email:	dbethoney@cfrfoundation.org

Point of Contact:	Michael Long
Email:	mlong@cfrfoundation.org

Participating Organizations:

Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation

Funding:

Orsted

External URL: https://www.cfrfoundation.org/sfwf-acoustic-monitoring

CFRF - South Fork Wind Farm Positioning