Session 2: Collaborative Whale Detection Technology Evaluation Workshop

Please save the date for the Collaborative Technology Workshop Session 2 on Wednesday, June 26, from 1-4pm ET. Registration is required. An agenda can be found here and pre-workshop materials are found here.

Background

On November 1st, 2023, NOAA Fisheries, BOEM, and DOE co-hosted a hybrid meeting of more than 50 representatives of government, the offshore wind industry, environmental non-profit organizations, scientists, and other leaders in technological advancement in support of whale conservation and responsible offshore wind development. The Summit included reaffirmations of commitments from all sectors represented to continue collaborative engagement in this space; a call to identify models, technologies, and information from other sectors, research areas, and potential partners; and an understanding of the value from both conservation and economic standpoints of developing, validating, and incorporating whale detection and monitoring technologies into offshore wind construction and operations.

To support this effort, a collaborative workshop series is being hosted by the RWSC and MTS, in partnership with PNNL and NREL, with support from DOE and contributions from NOAA, BOEM, and Turn Forward. The series is aimed at assessing the state of the science regarding technologies, tools, and methods for monitoring baleen whales around offshore wind construction activities. The workshops will provide an opportunity for the community to evaluate existing technologies, identify drivers of technology performance, as well as inform the rapid development and deployment of new and advanced technologies that can further improve the ability to detect, monitor, and avoid negative interactions with baleen whales with offshore wind facility construction. This effort will engage a diversity of subject matter experts and stakeholders (e.g., federal, industry, academia, eNGO).

Workshop Session 1 was held on April 18, 2024. View the Session 1 workshop report.

Register for Session 2