ACCESS NUMBER: 00087

STUDY TITLE: Characterization and Potential Impacts of Noise Producing Construction 

and Operation Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf

REPORT TITLE: Baseline Bioacoustic Characterization for Offshore Renewable Energy 

Development in the North Carolina and Georgia Wind Planning Areas

CONTRACT NUMBER: M10PC00087

SPONSORING OCS REGION: Gulf of Mexico

APPLICABLE PLANNING AREA: South Atlantic Planning Area and Mid-Atlantic 

Planning Area 

FISCAL YEARS OF PROJECT FUNDING: 2010–2014

COMPLETION DATE OF REPORT: December 2014

COSTS: $499,903

PROJECT MANAGER: A. N. Rice

AFFILIATION: Cornell University, Bioacoustics Research Program

ADDRESS: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS*: A. N. Rice, C. W. Clark

KEY WORDS: acoustics; ambient noise; biology; black drum; community; coral; 

environment; fish; Georgia; Georgia Bight; habitat; indicator; maps; marine mammals; 

modeling; North Carolina; occurrence; Onslow Bay; oyster toadfish; passive acoustic 

monitoring; right whale; sediment; sound propagation; survey; turtles

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted for BOEM as a baseline biological study of 

focal marine vertebrate species at two wind planning areas in the U.S. Southeast 

Atlantic coast section of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The wind planning areas 

are part of the Beaufort (block NI18-04; North Carolina) and Brunswick (block NH 17-02; 

Georgia) lease blocks, within Onslow Bay and the Georgia Bight, respectively. These 

sites are coastal, shallow water habitats that are home to a range of fish species, 

marine mammals, turtles, and sub-tropical coral reefs that have varying degrees of 

protected status or fisheries importance. We performed a baseline survey for future 

research in the environmental impacts of offshore wind energy development.

OBJECTIVES: (1) Evaluate the seasonal occurrence of North Atlantic right whales 

(Eubalaena glacialis), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), and humpback whales 

(Megaptera novaeangliae) as representative, protected marine mammal species, and 

baleen whales, to understand the environmental risks associated with their presence 

(BRP). (2) Evaluate the occurrence and spawning behavior of black drum (Pogonias 

cromis) and oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) as representative fish species to understand 
ACCESS NUMBER: 00087

the fish populations and evaluate the utility of these two species as ecological indicators 

of the ecosystems (BRP). (3) Characterize the ambient noise environment around the 

wind planning areas (BRP) and model the propagation of wind farm construction 

activities (MAI). (4) Characterize the physical structure of the benthic habitats and 

associated flora and fauna (ESS).

DESCRIPTION: To address the occurrence of marine mammals and fishes and the 

ambient noise conditions, acoustic data were collected using 3 marine autonomous 

recording units (MARUs) at each of the North Carolina and Georgia sites. Acoustic data 

were recorded at 2 kHz in two consecutive deployments of the MARUs at each site, 

June 2012 – April 2013.

We characterized the occurrence of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), fin 

whales (Balaenoptera physalus), and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), 

black drum (Pogonias cromis) and oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) by identifying the 

species-specific vocalizations. To evaluate the ambient noise conditions of the sites, 

acoustic data from each MARU were processed and presented in long duration 

spectrograms and power spectra.

SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS: These two wind planning areas show a significant 

amount of bioacoustic activity. Right whales, black drum, and toadfish were detected 

nearly across the entire study period at the Georgia site, but on only a few days in North 

Carolina. Fin whales and humpback whales were detected only on a low number of 

days at both locations.

STUDY RESULTS: Right whales were detected throughout the study, with peak 

presence in November–April, when whales have previously been described as 

migrating through the mid-Atlantic (Winn et al. 1986). These data suggest that right 

whales may occur in this region more often than previously documented. In Georgia and 

North Carolina, we did not detect a significant presence of fin whales or humpback 

whales. Fin whales were detected on only six days in the North Carolina site, in 

November 2012 and March 2013, consistent with previous records of fin whale 

occurrence in this region. Humpback whales were observed in low numbers.

Chorusing of black drum and oyster toadfish was detected in late June 2012 and late 

March and April 2013 at the Georgia site, and was visible in multi-day long 

spectrograms. Black drum chorusing was also detected at NC-North in March-April, but 

no toadfish chorusing was detected in North Carolina.

STUDY PRODUCT: Rice, A. N., J. L. Morano, K. B. Hodge, D. P. Salisbury, C. A. 

Muirhead, C. W. Clark. 2015. Baseline bioacoustic characterization for offshore 

renewable energy development in the North Carolina and Georgia Wind Planning 

Areas. US Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico 

OCS Region, New Orleans, LA. OCS Study BOEM 2014-026. 197 pp.
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*P.I.’s affiliation may be different than that listed for Project Managers.