Modeling seabird distributions in offshore waters between Maine and Florida: minimizing conflicts with proposed wind energy development

(Poster in PDF: A database of seabird occurrence and biophysical data for the U.S. Atlantic coastal and offshore marine environment)

Wind-generated electricity, particularly in the marine environment, promises to be an important source of renewable energy for the future but is a source of controversy for bird conservation worldwide. Negative interactions between birds and wind turbines have been documented and it is imperative that new wind turbines be placed in locations of relatively low risk to birds. Although information on the occurrence and distribution of marine birds is available for some species, systematic sampling of the ocean environment rarely has been attempted, historical data collection has been haphazard, and region-wide information is poorly organized and difficult to decipher. Together, these factors severely limit the ability of regulatory agencies like the USFWS to evaluate the placement of proposed wind structures and minimize adverse impacts on seabirds in the western Atlantic. Recent assessments of impacts of wind farms on birds have recommended scientific modeling as the most productive approach to minimizing the adverse impacts of future development. Technological advances in geographic information systems (GIS) and computer modeling have allowed scientists to predict species’ distributions over large areas using limited occurrence data in concert with biotic and abiotic information. The goal of this project is to predict high-use areas for select seabird species in the continental shelf zone in waters off the eastern United States to guide placement of future wind energy projects. Our objectives are to 1) gather seabird occurrence data along with other biotic and abiotic variables, 2) develop biological distribution models for seabirds using available occurrence data and environmental variables, and 3) generate seabird distribution maps for a key suite of species that inhabit the continental shelf zone along the Atlantic coast.

Contact Allan O'Connell or Andrew Gilbert for more information.

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