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2024 State of the Science Workshop

Taking an Ecosystem Approach: Integrating Offshore Wind, Wildlife, and Fisheries

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About the Workshop
State of the Science Workshop on Offshore Wind Energy, Wildlife and Fisheries. 
July 16-19, 2024, Long Island, New York

Workshop structure
Workshop goals and themes
FAQs

Workshop policies
Workshop organizers

Workshop Structure

The fourth State of the Science Workshop will offer opportunities across a multi-day program to discuss scientific research involving offshore wind energy development, wildlife, and fisheries. While we encourage in-person participation, all sessions will be live streamed for virtual participation.

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View the draft Workshop agenda here. 

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​​Workshop Goals

  • Engaging and informing interested stakeholders about the state of knowledge regarding wildlife and offshore wind energy development, including ongoing efforts to understand, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts

  • Promoting regional coordination by sharing updates on research studies, guidelines development, and other efforts in the eastern U.S. and elsewhere

  • Promoting collaboration through expert information exchange and discussion

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​2024 Themes

The overall theme of the 2024 Workshop is “Taking an Ecosystem Approach: Integrating Offshore Wind, Wildlife, and Fisheries”.

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Themes include: 

  • The interface of science and policy: how science is applied to inform siting, design, permitting, monitoring, and mitigation of offshore wind farms  

  • Methods for monitoring and mitigation: technology development and integration  

  • Conservation opportunities relating to offshore wind: net positive impacts, conservation offsets, compensatory mitigation, and other mechanisms for offshore wind to have a positive impact on wildlife and fisheries  

  • Ecosystem interactions: ecosystem approaches to understanding offshore wind effects, including a focus on both physical and biological interactions and how offshore wind energy (and other stressors such as climate change) may change ecosystems across trophic levels  

  • Correlation vs. causation: determining causes of ecosystem change 

  • Updates on the latest approaches and findings from the U.S. and elsewhere around the world​

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Sessions will focus on: 

  • Understanding wildlife and wildlife habitat: populations and distributions

  • Offshore wind development effects and species/ecosystem responses

  • Offshore wind development effects and fisheries: social/economic responses

  • Monitoring, minimization, and mitigation approaches

  • Cumulative impacts of offshore wind energy development

  • Collaborative processes to improve development and conservation outcomes (including guidance, data sharing, and other collaborative efforts)

  • Integration of fisheries data, marine protected species, and wildlife data to identify wind energy areas and planning areas

  • Ecosystem interactions: physical and biological interactions and changes in ecosystems across trophic levels ​in response to offshore wind and other stressors

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Workshop FAQs

  • What does the registration cost cover?

    • Registration includes attendance at all regular sessions and symposia, catered breakfasts and lunches, a dinner, and a reception during the event. ​

  • Who receives a registration discount?

    • Discounts are available to E-TWG and F-TWG members, E-TWG specialist committee members, workshop staff, New York State employees, keynote speakers, and fisheries stakeholders​.

  • Who is considered a fisheries stakeholder?

    • People who are directly engaged in the fishing industry (commercial or for–hire).

  • Who should I contact if I have a question about my registration?

  • How can I submit an abstract or proposal?

    • Abstract and proposal information including submission instructions can be found here.​

  • Does the abstract or proposal need to focus specifically on New York?

    • No, we are interested in sharing knowledge in the eastern United States and beyond. ​

  • Can I attend the conference virtually?

    • Yes, there is a virtual option on the registration page. All sessions will be live-streamed to provide virtual participation. ​

  • Can I present virtually?

    • In-person presentations are encouraged, but we will do our best to accommodate those who wish to submit a proposal but cannot attend. Please contact us directly for more information.
       

Workshop Policies

Code of Conduct

All participants are expected to behave in a professional and appropriate manner in all conference venues and conference social events. Please see the Doing Business with NYSERDA webpage for NYSERDA’s policies, including its harassment and discrimination policy. This policy applies to all conference participants. 

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​Inappropriate behavior during conference activities includes the following: 

·       Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form. 

·       Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, or support staff member. 

·       Disruption of presentations. 

·       Inclusion of promotional materials in presentations, postings, and messages. 

·       Copying presentations, Q&A, verbal or written discussions, or chat room activity that takes place in the virtual space. This includes taking screenshots, making audio or visual recordings, and distributing said copies or recordings (via social media or any other means). Please be respectful of speakers and do not take or distribute pictures of or copy presentation materials without explicit permission from the speaker. 

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Communication Guidelines
The convening parties of the workshop maintain responsibility for all press communications about the project. This event is a workshop and is not intended for the media. We respectfully request that participants contact the workshop planning team regarding the distribution of information related to the project.

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Data Privacy
The 2024 Workshop will utilize the event platform Cvent. The Cvent privacy policy is available here. If you choose to participate in the State of the Science Workshop you are also consenting to the following: Stony Brook A/V staff will be live streaming sessions for virtual attendees to view in Cvent in real time during the workshop. Video recordings of the sessions and Q&A periods will be made available on the this website following the event. The State of the Science Workshop and NYSERDA may use the email you provided to contact you about future State of the Science events and proceedings, which you can opt-out of at any time.
 

Workshop Organizers

State of the Science Workshops are hosted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on behalf of the Offshore Wind Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG). This year's organizers include:

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Scientific Planning Committee: 

Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI; Committee Chair); Scott Ambrosia, Vineyard Wind; Bonnie Brady, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association; Grace Chang, Integral Consulting; Doug Christel, National Marine Fisheries Service; Julia Dombrowski, National, Offshore Wind Research & Development Committee, Liz Gowell, Orsted; Ursula Howson, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; Juliet Lamb, The Nature Conservancy; Carl LoBue, The Nature Conservancy; Pamela Loring, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Laura Morse, Invenergy; Mike Pol, Responsible Offshore Science Alliance; Emily Rochon, Vineyard Offshore; Howard Rosenbaum, Wildlife Conservation Society.

 

Organizing Committee:

Kate McClellan Press, NYSERDA (Committee Chair); Morgan Brunbauer, NYSERDA; Brian Dresser, TetraTech; Eleanor Eckel, BRI; Kelli Gormley, NYSERDA; Julia Gulka, BRI; Kelly Hammond, NYSERDA; Bethany Meys, NYSERDA; Kate Williams, BRI

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Photo credits: Banner offshore wind farm © Nicholas Doherty; 

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