Wind Farms’ Impact on Whales Complicated by Climate Change Effects

As the construction of offshore wind farms accelerates in New England, the challenge of understanding their impact on marine life, particularly the North Atlantic right whale, intensifies. A report from the National Academies in 2023 reveals that distinguishing the effects of these wind projects from those of climate change remains complex.

Due to funding cuts, researchers at an aquarium have been unable to conduct essential aerial surveys to track these whales, even as construction continues on projects like Vineyard Wind and Revolution Wind. Erin Meyer-Gutbrod, a University of South Carolina assistant professor, emphasizes the importance of such surveys, noting, “Monitoring in and around the lease sites is critical for characterizing right whale distribution.”

The data collected by the aquarium since 2011 has provided vital insights, including the discovery in 2022 that some whales inhabit southern New England waters year-round. This shift is believed to be due to climate-induced changes in water temperatures, reinforcing the area’s significance as a habitat.

Meyer-Gutbrod calls for more rigorous government oversight of wind farm plans to adapt to these ecological changes. She highlights the necessity of continuous monitoring to mitigate risks such as vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglement, threats exemplified by incidents like the 2018 entanglement of a whale known as #2310.

Despite these concerns, the Interior Department has reduced funding for whale monitoring. This decision comes amid public discourse around the potential impact of wind farms on whale strandings, a notion dismissed by current evidence. In fact, the North Atlantic right whale population has seen a modest growth of about 2% from 2023 to 2024, a period marked by intensive wind farm construction.

Heather Pettis from the New England Aquarium credits ongoing conservation efforts for the absence of whale deaths in 2025, even as multiple wind projects progress. Nevertheless, the future of the aerial survey program remains uncertain without federal support, prompting aquarium staff to seek alternative funding and collaboration options.