Abstract
Offshore wind development along the U.S. Atlantic Coast has accelerated rapidly over the past decade, bringing increased attention to the interactions between offshore wind infrastructure, marine ecosystems, and fisheries. In parallel, a growing body of research and monitoring has emerged to better understand these interactions. However, this work is funded and conducted by a wide range of entities, including federal and state agencies, offshore wind developers, research institutions, and non-profit organizations, making it challenging to assess the overall state of knowledge and identify remaining research needs.
To address this challenge, the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) developed the Fish and Fisheries OffshoRe Wind Research Database (FishFORWRD), a regional platform that catalogs research and monitoring projects alongside documented research needs related to offshore wind and fisheries interactions.
The Research Gaps Analysis presented in this report builds upon the FishFORWRD database to
systematically evaluate how existing research aligns with identified research needs across the
U.S. Atlantic Coast offshore wind–fisheries research landscape.
The analysis draws on 240 research and monitoring projects cataloged in FishFORWRD and 323 individual research needs compiled from 17 research prioritization documents produced by federal and state agencies, fishing industry organizations, and regional management bodies. Through a structured review process, these individual research needs were consolidated into 70 Summarized Research Needs (SRNs), which represent broader scientific questions and priorities within 11 research categories ranging from ecological impact mechanisms (e.g., habitat modification, sound, electromagnetic fields) to fisheries-related impacts (e.g., fishing access and socioeconomic effects) and cross-cutting coordination topics (e.g., data management and cumulative impact assessments).
Each research and monitoring project was evaluated and mapped to one or more SRNs they address, enabling an assessment of whether each research need is currently being explored by one or more projects or remains unaddressed. A peer review process involving 15 subject matter experts from academia, government agencies, industry, and consulting organizations validated that the SRNs collectively capture the research needs of the offshore wind–fisheries space and that projects are appropriately assigned to those SRNs.
The final peer-reviewed results indicate that:
- 70 Summarized Research Needs structure the offshore wind fisheries research landscape
- 240 research and monitoring projects currently address these needs
- 8 research needs remain unaddressed, representing research gaps
The Gaps Analysis shows that research activity is concentrated in several areas, particularly species distribution and habitat-related studies, in part due to required monitoring associated with offshore wind project development. Other areas, such as cumulative impact assessment frameworks, regional monitoring coordination, and the integration of offshore wind impacts into fisheries management, remain comparatively underdeveloped.
Importantly, the Gaps Analysis evaluates research coverage rather than research conclusions. A research need classified as “under exploration” indicates that one or more projects are addressing the topic, but does not imply that the research question has been fully resolved. Similarly, a designation as a “research gap” does not necessarily indicate importance or priority, but rather highlights research needs with no projects addressing the topic within the current project portfolio in FishFORWRD,
By synthesizing ongoing research and documented research needs, this report provides a transparent, regional overview of offshore wind fisheries science along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The results are intended to support strategic coordination among research funders, scientists, fishing industry stakeholders, offshore wind developers, and resource managers. In doing so, the Research Gaps Analysis helps ensure that future research investments build upon existing work, address remaining knowledge gaps, and advance a shared understanding of offshore wind development and fisheries in the region.
A companion document provides the list of Summarized Research Needs (SRNs) identified through ROSA’s Research Gaps Analysis. These SRNs reflect cross-sector priorities related to offshore wind and fisheries and were developed by synthesizing hundreds of detailed research needs. Ongoing and completed research and monitoring projects have been mapped to the SRNs they address through a peer-reviewed Research Gaps Analysis available on FishFORWRD. The community is encouraged to use these SRNs, and the corresponding Gaps Analysis results, to prioritize topic areas for funding, align and enhance existing research efforts, and guide the development of new projects. More information and the Research Gaps Analysis Final Report can be found here: https://www.rosascience.org/resources/fishforwrd/