IMPACT OF OFFSHORE WIND FARM CONSTRUCTION ON MARINE SPECIES A CONCERN FOR RESEARCHERS

COLLEGE PARK – As focus on renewable energy sources in Maryland expands into the Atlantic Ocean, special attention is being paid to the effects of offshore wind farm construction on marine mammals.

Noise generated from the construction of wind farms can damage the hearing of animals like sea turtles, sharks and a number of migratory whales, as well as possibly displace marine mammals from their original habitat.

“It’s a major focus for the offshore wind development community,” said Andrew Gohn, senior clean energy program manager with Maryland’s Energy Administration. 
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