In recent months, around 22 whale carcasses have washed up on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Some conservationists claim that the spike in fatalities is linked to the construction of a massive offshore wind farm by the state of New Jersey, which could be affecting whale navigation. However, federal scientists have stated that there is no direct evidence linking the wind turbines to the beached whales. Despite this, local lawmakers, environmentalist groups, and conservative commentators are calling for action, and thousands of protesters gathered to lobby for a moratorium on offshore wind developments.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been tracking “unusual mortality events” for Humpback whales in the area since 2016. While there have been roughly 25 per year, the past few months have seen a surge in stranded whales, including 15 humpbacks, rivaling last year’s annual total. The director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in New Jersey has called this surge “alarming.”
Although a third of the whale corpses have washed up on the shores of New York and New Jersey, where the wind farm is being constructed, the NOAA website states that there is no evidence to support the speculation that noise resulting from wind development-related surveys could cause mortality of whales. However, some employees of the NOAA had raised concerns about the risks the wind farm may pose before the surge began.
Whales rely on echolocation, which could be distorted by excess noise, leading them into dangerous waters. Advocates of the turbines argue that the ships involved only account for 2% of the total traffic in the area and that any minor marine disruptions that are created would be offset by a decline in greenhouse emissions.
There is growing pressure from 30 mayors of coastal communities in the area, several sitting members of Congress, and advocates to halt the project. However, Governor Phil Murphy has expressed sympathy for concerned environmentalists while accusing some critics of capitalizing on the situation to shut down a project they had already opposed. Despite the cause of the surge in stranded whales not being firmly established, the phenomenon is undeniable.
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