NOAA’s Biological Opinion for the Revolution Wind Project

See page 56-57 for information about the recent demonstrations of stress in the North Atlantic right whale. NOAA states, “Between 2006 and 2015, annual average calving intervals continued to vary within this range, but in 2016 and 2017 longer calving intervals were reported (6.3 to 6.6 years in 2016 and 10.2 years in 2017) (Hayes et al. 2018a, Pettis and Hamilton 2015, Pettis and Hamilton 2016, Pettis et al. 2018a, Pettis et al. 2018b, Pettis et al. 2020).”

The timing of the deterioration of the North Atlantic right whale’s depressed calving rate correlates with the onset of offshore wind seismic activity on Coxes Ledge, an important habitat for the North Atlantic right whale. The Danish Oil and Gas Company (DONG), now Ørsted, began performing seismic surveys on Coxes Ledge in 2017. We know that whales will avoid areas with noise pollution and we know that seismic surveys kill the type of zooplankton that right whales consume as their primary food source. NOAA admits the unusual mortality events and the increase in whale deaths correlate with offshore wind activity, yet they also deny any association between offshore wind activity and whale deaths. This seems like a contradiction.

Learn more about whales and climate change here.