Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site
The United States is pursuing a diversified energy portfolio that includes offshore wind with a focus on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Western Atlantic Flyway (WAF) supports one of the largest near-shore movement corridors of birds in the world, including several shorebird species...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Resilience Alliance
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ace-eco.org/vol17/iss2/art31/ |
| _version_ | 1797969503494078464 |
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| author | Bryan D. Watts Chance Hines Laura Duval Alexandra L. Wilke |
| author_facet | Bryan D. Watts Chance Hines Laura Duval Alexandra L. Wilke |
| author_sort | Bryan D. Watts |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The United States is pursuing a diversified energy portfolio that includes offshore wind with a focus on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Western Atlantic Flyway (WAF) supports one of the largest near-shore movement corridors of birds in the world, including several shorebird species of high conservation concern. We used satellite transmitters to examine orientation of Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) crossing the OCS and their overlap with two wind energy leases. Birds using a migratory staging site along the Delmarva Peninsula in Virginia crossed the OCS along a southeast-northwest axis. A considerable percentage (42.9%) of tracks intersected with one of the two wind leases. The juxtaposition to the Delmarva Peninsula placed wind leases southeast of the peninsula within both the departure and arrival trajectories of Whimbrels. The satellite transmitters used in this study were not equipped with altitude sensors, so we do not know if birds crossed wind leases within the rotor swept zone. Several species of shorebirds, including hundreds of thousands of individuals, make trans-Atlantic flights from three major staging sites: Delaware Bay, the lower Delmarva Peninsula, and Georgia Bight. All of these sites have wind leases positioned to their southeast. One of the most effective strategies for minimizing conflicts between birds and potential hazards is to place hazards away from critical movement corridors. More information is needed about departure and arrival patterns of shorebirds that cross the OCS to inform future lease placement. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:03:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4e2aa4a70584160b066ca80084c3f38 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1712-6568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T03:03:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4e2aa4a70584160b066ca80084c3f382023-01-02T13:46:38ZengResilience AllianceAvian Conservation and Ecology1712-65682022-12-01172312312Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging siteBryan D. Watts0Chance Hines1Laura Duval2Alexandra L. Wilke3William and MaryWilliam and MaryWilliam and MaryThe Nature ConservancyThe United States is pursuing a diversified energy portfolio that includes offshore wind with a focus on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Western Atlantic Flyway (WAF) supports one of the largest near-shore movement corridors of birds in the world, including several shorebird species of high conservation concern. We used satellite transmitters to examine orientation of Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) crossing the OCS and their overlap with two wind energy leases. Birds using a migratory staging site along the Delmarva Peninsula in Virginia crossed the OCS along a southeast-northwest axis. A considerable percentage (42.9%) of tracks intersected with one of the two wind leases. The juxtaposition to the Delmarva Peninsula placed wind leases southeast of the peninsula within both the departure and arrival trajectories of Whimbrels. The satellite transmitters used in this study were not equipped with altitude sensors, so we do not know if birds crossed wind leases within the rotor swept zone. Several species of shorebirds, including hundreds of thousands of individuals, make trans-Atlantic flights from three major staging sites: Delaware Bay, the lower Delmarva Peninsula, and Georgia Bight. All of these sites have wind leases positioned to their southeast. One of the most effective strategies for minimizing conflicts between birds and potential hazards is to place hazards away from critical movement corridors. More information is needed about departure and arrival patterns of shorebirds that cross the OCS to inform future lease placement.https://www.ace-eco.org/vol17/iss2/art31/<span style="font-style: normal">numenius phaeopus</span>offshore windouter continental shelfsatellite trackingwestern atlantic flywaywhimbrel |
| spellingShingle | Bryan D. Watts Chance Hines Laura Duval Alexandra L. Wilke Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site Avian Conservation and Ecology <span style="font-style: normal">numenius phaeopus</span> offshore wind outer continental shelf satellite tracking western atlantic flyway whimbrel |
| title | Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site |
| title_full | Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site |
| title_fullStr | Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site |
| title_short | Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site |
| title_sort | exposure of whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid atlantic staging site |
| topic | <span style="font-style: normal">numenius phaeopus</span> offshore wind outer continental shelf satellite tracking western atlantic flyway whimbrel |
| url | https://www.ace-eco.org/vol17/iss2/art31/ |
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