The U.S. East Coast has leased 1.7 million acres for offshore wind energy development, potentially impacting the oceanographic conditions of the Atlantic continental shelf, including the Cold Pool—a critical area for fisheries. This paper reviews existing research on how wind farms may affect the Cold Pool’s stratification, which could disrupt the region's marine ecosystems and fisheries, highlighting the need for further study on how wind energy installations interact with these processes.

The report examines how offshore wind farms could impact the Mid-Atlantic Bight Cold Pool by altering ocean stratification and dynamics, potentially disrupting critical marine ecosystems and fisheries, and emphasizes the need for targeted research on these interactions.