Option Green: Offshore Wind Lecture (Hybrid)

Oceanographic and Ecological Research to Inform Offshore Wind Development in New Jersey

New Jersey has set a goal to procure half of its energy from renewable resources by 2030, and offshore wind power will play a critical role in achieving this goal. With offshore wind construction scheduled to begin soon in this region, it is critical that oceanographic and ecological baseline monitoring begins quickly and considers time scales of natural variability from seasons to years. This presentation will focus on how the offshore wind team at Rutgers University’s Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL) works to develop and advance the science that informs decision-making around offshore wind. We do this through research using both observations and models, and extensive engagement with stakeholders on the issues important to this new industry.

Grace Saba is an Associate Professor who leads an independent laboratory and research group focused on biological oceanography and marine ecology within the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS) and serves as a faculty in the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL). In the offshore wind space, she is collecting observational data on ecological and physical oceanographic conditions such as temperature, stratification, ocean acidification, pelagic zooplankton and fish biomass, as well as marine mammal presence using autonomous underwater gliders in current and planned wind lease areas.