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posted by martyb on Friday June 26 2020, @09:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the gather-and-linger dept.

Maryland offshore wind farm could become stop-over region for migrating striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon:

For the endangered Atlantic sturgeon and the commercially and recreationally important striped bass, the Delaware-Maryland-Virginia coastal shelf serves as an important spring and fall "flyway." Typically thought of as an established aerial route used by migratory birds to travel between feeding and breeding grounds, a recent study by scientists at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science applies the term to fish species of concern. Authors suggest that the development of wind farms on the Delmarva coastal shelf, 17-26 miles from Ocean City's shoreline, may alter the migratory behavior of these fish as new wind turbines in this otherwise featureless region could create habitat around which fish linger.

[...] Scientists also deployed 20 acoustic receivers in the Maryland Wind Energy Area. When a tagged fish swims past a receiver, a listening device about the size of a liter soda bottle, the receiver records the "ping" sent out by the tag. Each "ping" transmits its unique ID and the depth at which the fish was swimming to the receiver, which also records the time and date. The array of receivers allows scientists to monitor the movements of tagged fish. During the study, "pings" from 352 individual Atlantic sturgeon and 315 individual striped bass were recorded by receivers.

Scientists believe that Maryland's future offshore wind farm could become a stop-over region where striped bass and sturgeon might linger longer. The DelMarVa coastal shelf is a fairly barren area. The development of high relief wind turbines would provide structure around which fish may gather and linger during migrations.

Journal Reference:
Ella R. Rothermel, Matthew T. Balazik, Jessica E. Best, et al. Comparative migration ecology of striped bass and Atlantic sturgeon in the US Southern mid-Atlantic bight flyway, PLOS ONE (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234442)

If the data pans out, the offshore wind farms can do double duty as a power source and wildlife refuge.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 26 2020, @11:22PM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 26 2020, @11:22PM (#1013032)

    Drive up and down I-95, it's the interstate highway along the east coast.

    In Maryland, the road and pavement conditions are immaculate, smooth. I even like the state troopers patrolling the route.

    Pass over into Delaware, gets a bit rough, but it's a short stretch - it's a tiny state.

    Pass through PA/Philly, feels like bomb-out runway. Gets a little better through New-Joisey, but not for long and then it gets into the devil's den called New York City.

    How does Marylanders maintain the interstate route so smooth and pristine?

    A genuine question, no trolling.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @12:05AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @12:05AM (#1013042)

    They probably use better material. Most places, the roads get built by the lowest bidder, or somebody's cousin.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @12:35AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @12:35AM (#1013052)

    Draw a graph with road condition on one axis and BIPOC population on another and you'll have your answer.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @01:07AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @01:07AM (#1013060)

      Those black bastards are ripping up the freeways?! Right, time to get tough.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @01:30AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 27 2020, @01:30AM (#1013069)

      LGBTQABCXYZ and now BIPOC?

      Boomers are nasty, but they at least are sly enough to say "I've got mine, fuck off."

      Millenials, dumber than rocks.

  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday June 27 2020, @02:53AM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Saturday June 27 2020, @02:53AM (#1013095) Journal

    The Devil's Den [wikipedia.org] is not in New York City, but Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.