Southern New England Ventless Trap Survey and Lobster Seasonal Movement

There is uncertainty surrounding how fisheries resources will be impacted by the installation, operation, and decommissioning of offshore wind turbines and power cables. This study was a continuation of the 2014 – 2015 Southern New England Cooperative Ventless Trap Survey, which addressed these uncertainties by evaluating the baseline status of lobster and Jonah crab populations in the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Wind Energy Area. After the first two years of monitoring, a third year of monitoring was conducted in 2018. Combined data from the three survey years show consistent spatial patterns of lobster, crabs, and finfish species. Lobster abundance was fairly stable over the five-year period, while Jonah crab abundance varied by a factor of two, reaching a maximum in 2018. The study was designed to be replicable during all phases of wind energy development, as well as at other offshore wind energy sites, which will enable assessment of potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on fisheries resources.

USD: $1,342,691

2017-09-07 → 2019-07-15