Abstract
The Mooring Sensors for Environmental Awareness Project (MoorSEA, hereafter referred to as ‘the Project’), funded by the California Energy Commission and led by the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, is developing an innovative monitoring system to detect collisions and entanglements with mooring cables associated with floating offshore wind platforms in the and Morro Bay Wind Energy Areas (WEAs). This technical memorandum provides the physiological and morphological traits of key marine species, the meteorological and oceanographic characteristics of the WEAs, and physical parameters of fishing gear to inform the Project’s modeling and simulation efforts.
Of the potential marine megafauna species present in the WEAs, we recommend focusing on five cetaceans (humpback whale, blue whale, sperm whale, killer whale, and Pacific white-sided dolphin), two pinnipeds (California sea lion and northern elephant seal), and one sea turtle (leatherback sea turtle) for the MoorSEA modeling and simulation efforts. These eight key species were chosen due to their presence in both WEAs, their federal and/or state listing status, and/or their relatively higher risks of entanglement compared to other marine species. Behavioral (e.g., dive depth and force) and morphological information (body dimensions) relevant for sensor development and simulating potential interactions with mooring cables is provided for each key species. Derelict fishing gear has potential to wrap around mooring cables and create secondary entanglement hazards. Therefore, this report describes types of gear that were involved in documented entanglement events. Gear specifications, as well as details on the geographic range of the fishery with respect to the WEAs, are described. Lastly, the meteorological and oceanographic conditions (wind, waves, and currents) that will be used to simulate baseline conditions at the WEAs are provided. The meteorological ocean conditions considered were influenced by standards from the American Bureau of Shipping and the International Electrotechnical Commission’s 61400 series. We also utilized site-specific data from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories’ Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Buoy Program, which recently conducted year-long deployments at both WEAs.