The Consortium seeks to create a common understanding of the local and regional impacts (positive and negative) of floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. The Consortium may prioritize, scope, commission, and/or find collaborative partners to implement scientific studies on the ecological, technological, economic and social impacts to achieve this goal.
The Consortium is overseen by a diverse Advisory Board including commercial and recreational fisheries representatives, marine wildlife and habitats experts, commercial offshore wind development experts, and State agencies. Maine-based environmental NGOs, community representatives, and scientists from public and private research institutions are also represented to ensure broad stakeholder representation.
Over the course of 2023, the Advisory Board developed a Research Strategy and identified three projects for initial funding, including:
Exploring approaches to fisheries coexistence with floating offshore wind;
Inventorying baseline data on socioeconomics of Maine fishing communities to help assess potential positive and negative impacts of floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine; and
Sonar seafloor mapping in key areas of the Gulf of Maine.