 A Product of the SEBS and NJAES Office of Public Outreach and Communication  Image by Kruwt, licensed via Adobe Stock (Education License) Miles off the coast of New Jersey and New England, two major forces are converging: the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy and some of the most valuable fisheries in the United States. A new editorial published in Fisheries Oceanography takes stock of what we know — and what we urgently need to find out — about how these two uses of the ocean can coexist as climate change reshapes the sea.
Daphne Munroe, associate professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers University, and affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is the lead author. She and co-author Eileen Hofmann of Old Dominion University introduce a special issue of the journal dedicated entirely to this challenge.
The stakes are significant. East Coast fisheries generate $2 billion per year in revenue — about 40% of the national total — and many of the most productive fishing grounds sit squarely within zones already leased for wind farm construction. The Atlantic sea scallop fishery alone averages roughly $465 million in annual landings, and scallop habitat overlaps heavily with planned wind energy sites.
At the same time, warming ocean temperatures are pushing fish and shellfish to new areas, meaning the ocean these wind farms are being built in today will look different in 30 years — the typical lifespan of a wind installation. Research featured in the special issue projects, for example, that Atlantic surfclam populations will likely shift northward over time, potentially opening new fishing grounds in areas currently outside wind lease zones.
The collection of studies also highlights an opportunity. With several U.S. offshore wind projects currently delayed or stalled due to economic and political headwinds, there may be a window to conduct critical baseline studies before construction begins — research that would make it far easier to measure and manage the impact of these projects down the road.
“The offshore ocean is a shared resource, and decisions made today about wind energy development will shape the future of our fisheries for decades. Getting the science right — understanding how fish habitats, fishing communities, and renewable energy development interact — is essential for making sure we can have both a clean energy future and healthy, productive fisheries,” said Munroe.
You can read the full editorial here.
This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence and was reviewed and edited by Oliver Stringham and Daphne Munroe, a co-author on the study.
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