Center for Research on Offshore Wind and the Environment (CROWE)

Offshore wind energy is an essential component of plans to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate the effects of climate change on wildlife and ecosystems. However, like other energy sources, it can also present risks to wildlife and their environment. BRI biologists work to understand wildlife distributions and movements, and to identify ways to minimize risks from offshore wind energy development. CROWE works collaboratively with BRI’s other programs to carry out research studies that cross species lines and geographic boundaries and enhance our overall knowledge of wildlife and ecosystems that may be affected by the development of offshore wind energy.

BRI’s Wildlife and Renewable Energy Program has a decade-long history researching the effects of wind power development on wildlife and their habitats. The range of this work includes the seminal Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies Project, and the technical support we provide to the New York State Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG).

Major areas of expertise and experience:

  • Bird field studies and assessments for seabirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, and raptors
    • Acoustics, captures, transmitter deployment and tracking, observational surveys (vessel- and plane-based), digital aerial surveys
  • Bat field studies and assessments
    • Acoustics, captures, and transmitter deployment and tracking
  • Quantitative ecology
  • Spatial ecology
  • Stakeholder engagement and coordination
  • Advanced technologies for wildlife monitoring

Featured Project

Project WOW (Wildlife and Offshore Wind): A Systems Approach to Research and Risk Assessment for Offshore Wind Development from Maine to North Carolina, is a five-year study led by Duke University, and funded by the Department of Energy and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Read press release here). Project WOW is focused on assessing the effects to birds, marine mammal, sand other wildlife from the first commercial-scale offshore wind energy developments in the U.S. The WOW team is a multi-institution consortium of internationally recognized scientists.

BRI is leading the bird and bat study components of the project in coordination with Stony Brook University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the University of Rhode Island.

Research and Guidance Development
BRI researchers collaborate with scientists and managers from other nonprofits, academia, state and federal agencies, and other organizations to improve our understanding of the marine environment, identify approaches for effective wildlife monitoring, and inform environmentally responsible offshore wind energy development.
Projects include:
Stakeholder Engagement and Research Prioritization

BRI manages and participates in several stakeholder groups focused on bringing together multi-sectoral expertise to inform environmentally responsible offshore wind energy development. These include:

BRI also helps to organize multiple offshore wind and wildlife-focused conferences, including the State of the Science on Offshore Wind, Wildlife and Fisheries and the Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts.

Ecological Modeling and Data Management