Offshore Wind Development in the Northeast US Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem: Ecological, Human, and Fishery Management Dimensions

Methratta, Elizabeth T.; Hawkins, Anne; Hooker, Brian; Lipsky, Andrew; Hare, Jonathan A.

doi:10.5670/oceanog.2020.402

Cited by 32 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…We envision that analyses such as this that provide finescale information on where fisheries are operating and obtaining catch are essential information for informed and comprehensive marine spatial planning for a number of emerging uses such as aquaculture (Lester et al, 2018) and offshore wind development (Haggett et al, 2020;Methratta et al, 2020). The analyses in this paper have informed recent decision making on the fraction of red snapper biomass currently fished by the commercial fishery, a key consideration for setting the current overfishing limit (Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council [GMFMC], 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Attraction: Linking Vessel Monitoring System and Habitat Data to Assess Commercial Exploitation on Artificial Structures in the Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2022

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Marine artificial structures provide important ecosystem benefits, but the extent to which commercially valuable reef fish species and their associated fisheries utilize artificial structures is still undetermined. However, the increasing implementation of onboard Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) now enables precise identification of catch and effort locations that can be linked via satellite coordinates to seafloor habitat maps. To better understand the distribution of fishing effort across artificial and natural reef types in the Gulf of Mexico, we present the first attempt to link VMS data from commercial reef fish vessels with high resolution habitat maps for an iconic species, red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus). By allocating landings from VMS-linked individual fishing trips to habitat type (i.e., natural reef, artificial structure, or uncharacterized bottom) and overlaying these with previously developed red snapper biomass distributions, we are able to develop one of the first fine-scale spatial maps of exploitation across the entire Gulf of Mexico. Results indicated that nearly half (46%) of commercial red snapper landings were extracted from artificial structures. The degree of exploitation was highly heterogeneous with several localized hotspots on natural reefs along the continental shelf break and offshore areas of the Northeast Gulf of Mexico. Similarly, there were distinct regional differences in fishing patterns: a majority of the landings from the state of Florida (∼91%) came from natural reefs, whereas ∼75% of landings were from artificial structures from all other Gulf of Mexico states combined. These results indicate that the potential for localized depletion exists for red snapper. The exploitation maps developed here can directly aid fisheries managers by highlighting specific habitats and locations that should be carefully monitored as catch limits continue to increase.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Attraction: Linking Vessel Monitoring System and Habitat Data to Assess Commercial Exploitation on Artificial Structures in the Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2022

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“…A regionally coordinated framework for research and monitoring could help to place local scale patterns within the context of the regional ocean through several pathways (Carey et al, 2020;Gill et al, 2020;Methratta et al, 2020;ROSA, 2021). First, using robust methodologies, a regional framework can inform our understanding of how local scale impacts on abundance, distribution, and vital population rates scale up to the regional level at which populations are managed (e.g., Barbut et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, a regional framework is key to disentangling wind development impacts from effects caused by broader scale regional or ecosystem level scale phenomena such as changes in water temperature or primary production (e.g., Kleisner et al, 2017). Next, it could facilitate an integration of data collected at OWFs with those collected by long term regional scientific surveys (Methratta et al, 2020). Lastly, a regional framework could support the integration of accurate and precise estimates of biological indicators that can be used to inform the assessment of cross-sector tradeoffs within an integrated ecosystem assessment framework (Samhouri et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Along the Atlantic coast of the United States, there are currently 17 commercial leases (Figure 1), and additional areas on the Pacific coasts of California and Hawaii are being explored for possible development. The potential effects of wind development on marine fisheries resource species (i.e., finfish and shellfish including mollusks and crustaceans), and their habitats have gained major attention because of their ecological and economic importance and because of the implications that these effects may have for fishing communities (Gill et al, 2020;Methratta et al, 2020;Perry and Heyman, 2020). Effects on these taxa may occur through several impact producing factors (IPFs) that occur during each stage of development and that span multiple spatial and temporal scales (Figure 2; Degraer et al, 2019Degraer et al, , 2020Dannheim et al, 2020;Gill et al, 2020;Hutchison et al, 2020;Mooney et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Distance-Based Sampling Methods for Assessing the Ecological Effects of Offshore Wind Farms: Synthesis and Application to Fisheries Resource Studies

Methratta

2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Renewable energy, sustainable seafood, and a healthy marine ecosystem are integral elements of a sustainable blue economy. The rapid global advancement of offshore wind coupled with its potential to affect marine life compels an urgent need for robust methodologies to assess the impacts of this industry on fisheries resource species. Basic Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) and Control-Impact (CI) designs are the most common experimental designs used to study the effects of offshore wind development on fisheries resources. These designs do not account for spatial heterogeneity which presents a challenge because empirical evidence shows that impact gradients occur at wind farms, with larger effect sizes close to turbine foundations that attenuate with increasing distance. Combining the before-after sampling design with distance-based methods could provide a powerful approach for characterizing both the spatial and temporal variance associated with wind development. Toward enhancing future monitoring designs for fisheries resource species at offshore wind farms, this paper aims to: (1) examine distance-based sampling methods that have been or could potentially be used to study impacts on fisheries resources at offshore wind farms including distance-stratified BACI, distance-stratified CI, Before-After-Gradient (BAG), and After-Gradient (AG) methods; (2) synthesize the methods and findings of studies conducted to date that have used distance-based methods to examine ecological impacts of offshore wind development for benthic macroinvertebrates, finfish, birds, and small mammals; (3) examine some of the central methodological elements and issues to consider in developing distance-based impact studies; and (4) offer recommendations for how to incorporate distance-based sampling methods into monitoring plans at offshore wind farms.

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“…These activities will be undergoing environmental review over the next several years (Methratta et al. 2020). The impacts on diadromous species in general and river herring specifically are largely unknown.…”

Section: Current State Of Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of River Herring Science in Support of Species Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration

et al. 2021

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River herring—a collective name for the Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis—play a crucial role in freshwater and marine ecosystems along the Eastern Seaboard of North America. River herring are anadromous and return to freshwater habitats in the tens to hundreds of millions to spawn, supplying food to many species and providing nutrients to freshwater ecosystems. After two and a half centuries of habitat loss, habitat degradation, and overfishing, river herring are at historic lows. In 2013, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries established the Technical Expert Working Group (TEWG) to synthesize information about river herring and to provide recommendations to advance the science related to their restoration. This paper was composed largely by the chairs of the TEWG subgroups and represents a review of the current state of knowledge of river herring, with an emphasis on identification of threats and discussion of recent research and management actions related to understanding and reducing these threats. Important research needs are then identified and discussed. Finally, current knowledge is synthesized, considering the relative importance of different threats. This synthesis identifies dam removal and increased stream connectivity as critical to river herring restoration. Better understanding and accounting for predation, climate change, and fisheries are also important for restoration. Finally, there is recent evidence that the effects of human development and contamination on habitat quality may be more important threats than previously recognized. Given the range of threats, an ecosystem approach is needed to be successful with river herring restoration. To facilitate this ecosystem approach, collaborative forums such as the TEWG (renamed the Atlantic Coast River Herring Collaborative Forum in 2020) are needed to share and synthesize information among river herring managers, researchers, and community groups from across the species’ range.

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Offshore Wind Development in the Northeast US Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem: Ecological, Human, and Fishery Management Dimensions

Cited by 32 publications

References 19 publications

Artificial Attraction: Linking Vessel Monitoring System and Habitat Data to Assess Commercial Exploitation on Artificial Structures in the Gulf of Mexico

Artificial Attraction: Linking Vessel Monitoring System and Habitat Data to Assess Commercial Exploitation on Artificial Structures in the Gulf of Mexico

Distance-Based Sampling Methods for Assessing the Ecological Effects of Offshore Wind Farms: Synthesis and Application to Fisheries Resource Studies

A Review of River Herring Science in Support of Species Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration

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