A new peer-reviewed study suggests that sperm whales are using inshore shallow waters off southern New England near a U.S. offshore wind energy area as seasonal habitat. Scientists from NOAA Fisheries and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography published the study in a special themed issue of the ICES Journal of Marine Science.
Sperm whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and listed as endangered in U.S. waters under the Endangered Species Act. They are best known for using deeper waters on the continental slope and canyons. This study focuses on when they are detected in shallow coastal waters.
“This study is the first to assess year-round acoustic occurrence of sperm whales, and the results indicate that these adaptive and social animals can and do seasonally use inshore shallow waters off of Southern New England.”
"For many years opportunistic sightings and scientific surveys have recorded sperm whales on the continental shelf south and east of southern New England, but whether this was a regularly used habitat or not was unknown,” said Annabel Westell, the study’s lead author and a passive acoustic researcher at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “This study is the first to assess year-round acoustic occurrence of sperm whales, and the results indicate that these adaptive and social animals can and do seasonally use inshore shallow waters off of Southern New England.”
Sperm whales were present mainly from May through August, with a secondary peak in October–November.
Researchers will use the results to assess ongoing sperm whale presence, especially social groups that may be more sensitive to disturbance. On the continental shelf, near the recording sites, sperm whales observed in these shallow waters are thought to be following migrating squid. Results indicate both adult males and social groups use the region around the offshore southern New England wind energy development area, possibly for breeding as well as foraging.
Offshore wind energy development plays an important role in climate change mitigation. This research is part of NOAA’s ongoing work to ensure the nation’s deployment of offshore wind energy is done in a manner that avoids and minimizes impacts to protected resources and their habitats. Studies like this one provide information essential to crafting effective plans for mitigating the effects of offshore wind energy development on protected species.
