Marine ecosystems, particularly benthic (or seafloor) communities, are sensitive to disturbance. More information is needed to understand how Offshore Wind (OSW) farms will impact benthic communities in the northwest Atlantic, where a majority of U.S. OSW development is underway. Addressing this need, BRI has teamed up with collaborators from Rutgers University, Duke University, the University of St. Andrews Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modeling (CREEM), and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS). This study will assess potential changes to benthic communities in response to OSW development in the northwest Atlantic, project subsequent impacts to higher trophic level species, and develop a research and monitoring plan for assessing the extent of these impacts.

BRI Lead Investigators: Evan Adams, Kate Williams, Kimberly Lato

External Collaborators: Ulrike Braeckman (RBINS), Jan Vanaverbeke (RBINS), Steven Degraer (RBINS), Len Thomas (CREEM), Saana Isojunno (CREEM), Oscar Schofield (Rutgers University), Josh Kohut (Rutgers University), Doug Nowacek (Duke University), Pat Halpin (Duke University), Jesse Cleary (Duke University), Beatrice Smith (Duke University), Corrie Curtis (Duke University).

Benthic organisms consist of both mobile and sessile invertebrates such as sponges, corals, sea anemones, worms, bivalves, and crabs. OSW structures provide novel habitat in offshore marine environments, promoting the colonization of sessile invertebrates, such as mussels and barnacles, that can attach themselves to hard substrates. Local increases in these benthic species can attract an abundance of demersal fishes to the area, altering food availability for higher trophic level animals such as seabirds and marine mammals. As OSW development expands through the northwest Atlantic, it is important to anticipate changes to benthic communities and quantify the relationship between benthifauna and higher trophic level animals to better understand the role OSW development plays in shaping marine ecosystems.

Study Area

This project will assess benthic change within three wind energy development areas off Long Island, New York and Massachusetts/Rhode Island that are at or near construction completion (Empire Wind, South Fork Wind, and Vineyard Wind 1).

These wind energy areas are in oceanic regions that are highly biodiverse, supporting a variety of marine animals and fisheries resources. Due to their ecological importance, a large amount of data has already been collected on benthic organisms, fishes, and higher trophic level species in these regions, providing a rich dataset to draw from and effectively assess OSW-mediated ecosystem changes. Additionally, these research areas overlap with those of ongoing marine mammal and seabird monitoring projects (e.g. Project WOW), allowing us to integrate our research into regional monitoring efforts.

Developing a Research Plan

Studying changes in benthic communities can be challenging, particularly due to the variation in seasonality and mobility across organisms. This project takes an ecosystem-focused approach to gain a more holistic understanding of potential impacts, both positive and negative, of OSW on marine communities to help guide future monitoring efforts.

Taking this approach, our project goals include:

• Describe benthic food webs and investigate their connections to higher trophic level species;
• Synthesize current knowledge on OSW impacts from other countries to help identify key drivers of benthic change;
• Project changes to northwest Atlantic food webs in response to OSW development;
• Assess potential OSW-mediate changes to the behavior, distribution, and abundance of higher trophic level species;
• Develop research and monitoring plans for scientists, developers, and regulatory agencies