Marine Mammals
There are no data or evidence linking whale mortalities to any one specific factor, including offshore wind development.
NOAA, the Marine Mammal Commission, and the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management all find no connection between whale strandings and offshore wind.
Whale strandings facts from Rutgers University
Q&A on recent whale strandings and offshore wind energy development
Whale/offshore wind fact sheet from NOAA.
Frequently asked questions about interactions between offshore wind energy projects and whales on the East Coast.
Marine Mammal Commission denies connection between offshore wind and whale deaths
As requests for a moratorium on offshore wind continue to grow, a scientific commission joined two federal agencies last week in disputing any link between offshore wind development and the slew of whale deaths occurring along the East Coast.
CBS News report on whale strandings
Within the span of just a few months, nine dead whales have washed up on the shores of New Jersey and New York. What’s behind the mortalities has not been clearly established, but theories abound. Some have pointed blame at offshore wind development in the region and claimed construction of the sites causes harm to marine animals. But federal officials have pushed, saying that’s not what the evidence shows.
NJ Department of Environmental Protection finds no relation between whale strandings and offshore wind
All offshore wind survey activities have been permitted by NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and deemed safe for marine mammals, i.e., no injurious activities have been permitted for offshore wind developers.