PLYMOUTH, Mass. — It is the first commercial-scale offshore wind energy project in the U.S. But is Vineyard Wind, under construction off the coast of Massachusetts, contributing to an increase in whale strandings?
That’s what President-elect Donald Trump suggested at a Tuesday press conference, as he vowed to stop new off-shore wind farms during his administration.
“You see what’s happening up in the Massachusetts area with the whales,” Trump said. “They had two whales wash ashore in a 17-year period. And now they had fourteen this season. The windmills are driving the whales crazy.”
Actually, what may be driving the whales crazy is the noise generated by the construction of the wind farm. It involves the placement of 62 turbines, one nautical mile apart.
“Whales are disturbed by noise, and pile driving is a very loud noise,” said Bob Kenney, PhD, a retired marine research scientist and professor emeritus at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. “It disturbs them if they’re within 500 meters or so.”
What whales do in that situation is move away from the annoying sound source -- but not to the point of heading for the beach.
“We know what’s killing whales,” Kenney said. “We know that for North Atlantic Right Whales we have never done a necropsy on an adult or a juvenile -- where the cause of death could be determined -- where it was something different than drowning in fishing gear or being run over by a ship.”
“There’s no evidence to suggest that whales are dying from wind farms,” said Caroline Genther, assistant stranding coordinator with Whale Dolphin Conservation North America. “What we’re seeing most commonly is vessel strikes, accidental entanglements and infectious disease.”
Genther said whale strandings, while rare, have been increasing in the last eight years. So Trump is right about that. But it’s unknown exactly why. However, it may have something to do with climate change keeping whales off the Massachusetts coast well past summer.
“We’re starting to see whales use different habitats at different times because of our changing climate,” she said. “We’re seeing whales that are closer to shore because there’s more bait fish closer to shore.”
Unfortunately, more time spent off the coast of Massachusetts means more opportunities for injury and death.
“The second that data comes out that shows us that offshore wind development is harming whales, we’ll be the loudest voice in the room,” Genther said. “But right now, we just don’t have that data.”
Genther said she realizes many feel passionately about wind energy -- one way or the other. But hopes appreciation grows for the important role whales play in the ecosystem. By discharging intestinal waste at the surface, Genther said whales fertilize phytoplankton. Those organisms generate a huge amount of the oxygen we breathe.
“We would love to see passion shifted towards accidental entanglements and vessel strikes,” she said. “Everyone can benefit from helping to save the whales.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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