Digital Aerial Baseline Survey of Marine Wildlife in Support of Offshore Wind Energy - OPA 2018

Original provider: NYSERDA, APEM, Normandeau Associates Dataset credits: NYSERDA, Normandeau Associates Inc., APEM Ltd. Abstract: In support of New York State’s commitment to incorporating offshore wind into its energy portfolio, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) embarked on a multi-year ultra- high resolution aerial digital survey of marine resources in a 43,745.20 km2 (12,754.06 mi2) offshore planning area (OPA) in 2016. The OPA encompasses the waters of the New York Bight from Long Island southeast to the continental shelf break. Surveys are conducted on a quarterly basis, timed to coincide with periods of abundance of avian and marine species that could be vulnerable to impacts from offshore wind activities. Each survey collected images covering at least 7% of the OPA. For each survey, approximately 300,000 images were collected within the OPA using a transect design. During the first survey year, special attention was also paid to the wind energy area (WEA) using a more detailed grid survey design, collecting around 100,000 images. Each survey collected images covering at least 10% of the WEA. WEA survey data are in a separate dataset.There was some variation in sampling effort among surveys as a different camera system that captured a larger footprint was used after the Summer 2016 survey.YR3 consists of Survey09 Summer2018, Survey10 Fall2018, Survey11 Winter2018- 19, Survey12 Spring2019. Purpose: The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) contracted with Normandeau Associates Inc. (Normandeau) and teaming partner APEM Inc. (APEM) to use high resolution aerial digital imagery to collect data on birds, marine mammals, sea turtles, cartilaginous fish, and other taxa encountered offshore. Surveys are conducted four times a year over three years. The surveys have been designed in light of available historical data and use the latest digital and sensor technology to provide high identification success. Survey results for birds, marine mammals, turtles, and cartilaginous fish are presented in semiannual reports, which will cumulatively provide insight into interseasonal and interannual variation in species composition, densities, and distributions. Reports are available at https://remote.normandeau.com/nys_docs.php. Supplemental information: [2022-06-07] The following recorded species names got their assigned scientific names corrected. GANNET: Morus => Sulidae BLACK SCOTER: Pluvialis squatarola => Melanitta nigra BLACK TERN: Pterodroma hasitata => Chlidonias niger BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER: Rissa tridactyla => Pluvialis squatarola BLACK-CAPPED PETREL: Melanitta nigra => Pterodroma hasitata BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE: Chlidonias niger => Rissa tridactyla LOGGERHEAD TURTLE: Cheloniidae => Caretta caretta LOGGERHEAD/KEMP'S TURTLE: Caretta caretta => Cheloniidae RED PHALAROPE: Mergus serrator => Phalaropus fulicarius RED/RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: Phalaropus lobatus => Phalaropus RED-BREASTED MERGANSER: Phalaropus fulicarius => Mergus serrator RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: Phalaropus => Phalaropus lobatus Transect area is calculated based on the planned aircraft altitude and assumed to be a consistent value. Actual coverage of the area may vary due to fluctuations in the aircraft altitude during the survey. This may result in target observation points being displayed outside the transect area. Tracklines are viewable online as a static layer. The data in 2016 is available at http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1817 http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1818 The data in 2017 is available at http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1994