Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA)’s Post

Funding Opportunity Announcement! ROSA is announcing the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) offering up to $3.4 million to advance regional solutions for fisheries and offshore wind along the U.S. East Coast. This RFP seeks to fund hypothesis-driven research in three high-priority areas: 1. Supporting Fisheries Access – Developing strategies for the coexistence of fishing activity with offshore wind, or strategies to mitigate potential impacts. 2. Understanding Potential Offshore Wind Impacts on Larval Fish – Advancing our knowledge of how offshore wind may affect the larval transport, settlement, and distribution of commercially valuable species. 3. Fisheries Monitoring: Data Integration, Evaluation, & Analysis – Leveraging existing data to enhance regional monitoring efforts, aiming to understand data needs and capabilities for assessing cumulative impacts. Funded projects will generate valuable insights to guide planning, management, impact assessment, and mitigation efforts and support the long-term resilience of our fisheries and marine ecosystems. This funding is made possible through the Empire Wind 1 project, developed by Equinor and supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) under its New York 4 Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates solicitation. 💡 Interested? Learn more about this funding opportunity and find out how to apply: https://lnkd.in/e8gsc2CP Stay connected with ROSA for updates on this RFP and other initiatives: https://lnkd.in/enEbxpUb

World's first floating wind power-fishery integrated platform now operational in SE China's Fujian. The world's first floating wind power-fishery integrated platform started official operation at the Nanri Island offshore wind farm in Putian, southeast China's Fujian Province, on Friday, as part of China's efforts to support oceanic green development through an innovative model to produce marine green products and clean energy. Located at the center of the platform is a hexagonal water pool, beneath which lies a double-layered aquaculture net cage capable of accommodating 50,000 deep-sea fish. This innovative design enables the platform to simultaneously generate power on water and facilitate fish farming underwater. According to the staff, the development and construction of the wind power-fishery integrated platform is a multifaceted interdisciplinary project, involving research in energy and power as well as fish farming. Credited by: CGTN #FloatingWindPower #FisheryIntegration #RenewableEnergy #GreenDevelopment #OffshoreWind #CleanEnergy #MarineInnovation #SustainableFishing #FujianProvince #ChinaInnovation #Aquaculture #WindFarm #GreenTechnology #OceanicDevelopment #EnergyTransition

CHINA: Offshore breezes prove a windfall for fisheries As the offshore wind sector booms in China, opportunities are also arising beneath the whirring blades and churning turbines. Eyeing massive marine resources, turbine manufacturers across the country are stepping up efforts to integrate new energy projects with aquaculture farms, where fish, lobsters, and crabs coexist with #windturbines, blades, and cable routes, further promoting marine biodiversity. China Longyuan Power, a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Corp — the world's largest power producer and the top #windpower developer in terms of installed capacity — recently put into operation the world's first wind-fishery integrated floating platform near Nanri Island off Fujian province, which will co-deploy floating turbines and deep-sea fish farming equipment. The project, pioneering a new marine economic development model that combines underwater fish farming and above-water power generation in the field of floating offshore wind power, will take better advantage of surrounding marine resources, it said. Consisting of a 4-megawatt floating wind turbine and 10,000 cubic meters of aquaculture water volume, the project is capable of generating 96,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each day, which can meet the daily electricity needs of about 42,000 households while boosting income from batches of fishery products, thus representing win-win cooperation between the development of new energy and the traditional marine economy, said Chen Yong, deputy director of Longyuan's Fujian subsidiary. With remote monitoring and unattended operation, the intelligent deep-sea aquaculture equipment allows remote and intuitive observation of the state of the sealife populations, he said. Longyuan said the electricity generated by the offshore wind turbine also ensures the safe and stable operation of the aquaculture equipment, solving the common problems of "insufficient power supply and unstable power supply" in traditional marine ranching. Industry experts are optimistic about the integration of offshore wind and marine ranching, seeing the project — China's latest bid to combine offshore wind and fish farming — as a synergistic approach to sustainable development. Combining wind power with aquaculture or ranching could benefit companies on both sides, leading to more resilient and diversified food systems, said Luo Zuoxian, head of intelligence and research at the SINOPEC Economics and Development Research Institute. https://lnkd.in/dDVTmFdP #aquaculture #windfarming #fishfarming

Aquaculture isn’t the first thing that comes to most people’s minds when thinking of use cases for our microturbines. But that is exactly the type of project that we engaged in around 2017, along with BOC South Pacific for a large aquaculture and food processing enterprise who were exploring solutions to provide stand-alone power to their salmon fishing pods on the water of Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania. The power system needed to meet a number of key requirements. Firstly, there were environmental considerations. One of the goals was to mitigate the likelihood of the power generation exposing Macquarie Harbour marine environment to diesel, coolants, or oil. Another target was for the solution to be low noise, as any sound would reverberate off the water and into the surrounding valley. It was also preferable that the power was highly available, and that the machinery was low maintenance. Along with BOC, we designed and delivered a natural gas-fueled 65kW Capstone Green Energy microturbine, which was specially housed for marine environments. To achieve this house, we installed the microturbine in a 10-foot container that features a custom-designed vane pack (or air inlet), to eliminate any seawater coming in. This was supported by an exhaust that had a custom-made silencer to reduce sound to less than 50dBA. The container was made for rapid connection of power, communications, and fuel delivery. As well as designing and delivering the system, we also provided remote monitoring for a six-month period. The reliability test ran the turbine continuously for six months and met all performance KPIs, showcasing the success of the project. This success has also led us to take up other projects in the aquaculture sector, for example, our work for Blue Economy CRC builds off the learnings from this project. The main difference between the two is that we used LNG as the fuel source for the microturbines in this project and Green Hydrogen as fuel for the Blue Economy project, which allowed us to achieve a zero-emission outcome. #aquaculture #marinefarms #standalonepower

We are thrilled to share our latest publication in Renewable Energy titled "Marine spatial planning techniques with a case study on wave-powered offshore aquaculture farms." In this study, we developed a GIS-based framework to identify optimal sites for wave-powered offshore aquaculture farms along the Northeast U.S. coast. Our analysis revealed the complexities of marine spatial planning in a highly congested ocean environment, where minimizing conflicts with existing industries like fisheries and offshore wind significantly reduces the number of feasible deployment locations. Looking ahead, we’re eager to explore the potential for co-locating offshore aquaculture within offshore wind farms, investigating the synergies and opportunities this pairing could offer for sustainable food and energy production. This paper was led by Gabriel E. when he was an undergraduate student at Cornell Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Thank you to all the co-authors who contributed to this work: Arezoo Hasankhani, Ph.D. and Eugene Won, our collaborators, as well as funding from the Northeast Sea Grant Consortium and Cornell Engineering for support through the ELI program. 📝 Read the full paper here (free access until January 17): https://lnkd.in/g2j9jSTE 📊 Access our dataset and tools: https://lnkd.in/gRGP39fX and https://lnkd.in/gi5Tnia7 #Sustainability #Aquaculture #RenewableEnergy #WaveEnergy #BlueEconomy #MarineSpatialPlanning #GIS

While some may view NOAA Fisheries' strategic science plan as overdue, it's a positive and necessary step towards understanding the environmental implications of offshore wind development. The initiative acknowledges the complexities of the West Coast's deep waters and the need for innovative floating wind turbine platforms. The plan thoughtfully addresses six key research areas, recognizing the critical nature of habitats like upwelling zones and the potential effects of wind farm infrastructure on marine life. It's a forward-thinking approach that considers not just the immediate physical and physiological impacts, such as noise and electromagnetic fields, but also the broader changes in marine life abundance and distribution. NOAA's commitment to exploring the socioeconomic impacts on fisheries and communities reflects a deep understanding of the transformative nature of offshore wind development. The agency's efforts to study ecosystem and climate interactions demonstrate a conscientious approach to assessing the long-term and cumulative effects of wind farms. By incorporating innovative technologies like autonomous undersea gliders and prioritizing partnerships with West Coast tribes, NOAA is championing a collaborative and inclusive research ethos. This initiative is about more than just advancing offshore wind energy; it's about doing so responsibly and with a commitment to protecting our marine ecosystems and supporting the communities that rely on them. #OffshoreWind #RenewableEnergy #NOAAFisheries #EnvironmentalStewardship #SustainableDevelopment

California is currently deciding whether to protect the western burrowing owl under the California Endangered Species Act. The decision could bring significant compliance challenges to various industries, including residential and commercial development, renewable energy, agriculture, and mining. Learn about the ramifications of listing this ground dwelling critter under CESA the latest blog Shawn Zovod and I put together: https://lnkd.in/gStDaUfX

Partnership Trials Fish Farms in a Swedish Offshore Wind Project As demand for coastal space is rising for a variety of uses, multi-use projects in offshore areas offer a novel solution. In the latest example, Freja Offshore, a joint venture between Hexicon and Mainstream Renewable Power, has teamed up with the Norwegian company SubFarm to enable fish farming within the MARELD landskapsarkitekter AB offshore wind farm. The site is a proposed 2.5 GW floating wind farm in the North Sea, 25 miles off the coast of Lysekil in Sweden. Lysekil Municipality, the research institute UNEP-DHI Centre on Water and Environment Norway’s Blue Maritime Cluster will also participate in the new project at Mareld site. According to Freja, this project aims to showcase that generation of offshore wind power could coexist with other important coastal interests, including the fishing industry and sea-based food production. Previous studies have shown that offshore wind farms could act as artificial reefs and marine protected areas. This helps to attract fish and other marine biodiversity, which is a great benefit for ocean conservation. Additionally, offshore wind farms limit passage of large fishing vessels, presenting a good opportunity for fish farming. “Seafood and offshore wind power are two industries that Sweden will need more of in the future, and the least needed is to strengthen preparedness. That is why we want to find ways to combine these two pieces,” said Magnus Hallman, CEO of Freja Offshore. https://lnkd.in/d_Gg8g4D #fishfarming #aquaculture

Nice new paper on harvest control rules and management strategy evaluation in fisheries for the case of non-stationary parameters. While the paper doesn't really talk about why parameters are changing over time. One obvious example would be climate change. It can be difficult to causally attribute changes in the environment to soemthing like climate change. However, we do know that cliamte change is leading to a situation of change in which environmental and ecological relationships can be thought of as non-stationary. This model is well-suited to account for such changes. Pia Bessell-Browne , André E. Punt , Geoffrey N. Tuck, Paul Burch, Andrew Penney Management strategy evaluation of static and dynamic harvest control rules under long-term changes in stock productivity: A case study from the SESSF, Fisheries Research Volume 273, May 2024. https://lnkd.in/d3vsEPuc #fisheries #fisheriesmanagement #harvestcontrolrules #nonstationarity

At Dartmouth Ocean Technologies we recently deployed our freshwater monitoring system in Nova Scotia's lakes to support the early detection of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Using our Dual Chemistry Nitrate & Phosphate sensor, we can pinpoint nutrients that fuel algae growth, while eDNA samples verify if a bloom is harmful or toxic—bringing powerful tools to protect local waters.   This same setup holds great potential for ocean applications, including biodiversity monitoring in offshore energy development sites. In locations slated for offshore wind installations, for instance, our system can capture essential data through every phase of the project—from baseline sampling through to decommissioning. The eDNA samples, gathered across project stages, provide vital insights into biodiversity at the site, helping maintain environmental stewardship at every step. Onboard, we had two eDNA Samplers and a Dual NP sensor. As seen in the video, this payload is configured to collect 200 nitrate and 200 phosphate readings, along with 18 eDNA samples, across multiple surveys. Each sampler has onboard chemistry to process up to 27 eDNA samples via 3 removable cassettes, holding 9 filters each. With this dual setup, up to 54 eDNA samples can be gathered over multiple surveys, providing a scalable solution for comprehensive environmental monitoring. Thank you to our partner, ValorBPS, and to Jake Carine for the collaboration and invaluable support. Together, we’re pushing the limits of autonomous environmental monitoring with advanced technology for both freshwater and marine ecosystems! #FreshwaterMonitoring #OceanConservation #HarmfulAlgalBlooms #OffshoreWind #BiodiversityMonitoring #eDNA #EnvironmentalMonitoring