To support the State of Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife during the offshore wind commercial planning process, BRI conducted a desktop study and literature review to determine regions of importance for breeding and migrating marine birds in the Gulf of Maine to inform regions of higher and lower risk to marine birds. The study relied on three primary analyses: a buffer around colonial nesting marine bird islands during the breeding season based on the maximum foraging distance; a combined exposure and vulnerability assessment using regional marine bird models; and movement models of three diving bird species.

The results indicate that there is substantial variability in marine bird use across the region. More marine bird colonies are found in the Midcoast region of Maine than any other region within the Gulf of Maine and there is substantial overlap in foraging habitat among species in that region, suggesting that this region in the Gulf of Maine may be of particular importance for many nesting marine bird species.

Read the study here.