Ocean Robots & Offshore Wind: Marine Technologies Supporting Ecological and Oceanographic Monitoring

On the continental shelf off New Jersey, including the planned offshore Wind Energy Areas, the ocean is characterized by remarkable variability across time scales from days to seasons to decades. This drives an equally variable ecosystem from primary producers to highly migratory fishes and marine mammals. With offshore wind construction scheduled to begin in this region within the next few years, 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 introduce the audience to the ocean robots that are