Were the 2022 whale deaths off the US East Coast caused by offshore wind development?
No.
The 2022 whale deaths have not been linked to offshore wind surveys or construction. Research has found no evidence of wind farms driving whale deaths, and responsibly developed wind farms avert systemic harms of fossil fuels.
Bad practices like construction during peak migration, high-speed vessels, or not monitoring whale presence can increase risk. However, established regulations such as seasonal construction limits, population monitoring, and vessel-speed rules reduce exposure. Once operating, turbine noise is significantly less disruptive than ships.
According to the NOAA, boat collisions and fishing gear entanglement account for most whale deaths, not wind turbines.
In contrast, fossil fuel drilling and burning routinely harm marine life. Oil and gas exploration uses highly disruptive sonar, oil spills kill marine animals, and emissions acidify oceans, weakening coral and shellfish. Warming causes population-level harms to marine mammals through altered migration routes and habitat loss.
This Fact Brief was written by Sue Bin Park and originally published by our Gigafact partner, Skeptical Science. See a full discussion of this at Skeptical Science
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Sources
- Yale Climate Connections Wind opponents spread myth about dead whales
- NOAA Frequent Questions—Offshore Wind and Whales
- U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Energy Project Final Environmental Impact Statement
- The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America How loud is the underwater noise from operating offshore wind turbines?
- Save the Sound Clearing the Air on Offshore Wind
- Biological Conservation Population consequences of disturbance by offshore oil and gas activity for endangered sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)
- National Audubon Society More Than One Million Birds Died During Deepwater Horizon Disaster
- NOAA What is Ocean Acidification?
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