CT Initiative on Environmental Research of Offshore Wind (CIEROW)

 

*Webpage is undergoing updates

J. Evan Ward (Ph.D., University of Delaware)

Professor and Head of Marine Sciences

evan.ward@uconn.edu

 

 

 

Annemarie Seifert (Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin)

Campus Dean and Chief Administrative Officer, University of Connecticut, Avery Point

annemarie.seifert@uconn.edu

Paola Batta-Lona (Ph.D., University of Connecticut)

Assistant Research Professor of Marine Sciences

paola.batta_lona@uconn.edu

Goals and Plans

UConn’s Avery Point campus and the Department of Marine Sciences are well-positioned to become a regional leader in environmental research and education of offshore wind energy.

The goals of CIEROW are to conduct targeted research in marine environments potentially impacted by the burgeoning offshore wind-energy industry. Utilizing the operational capacity of UConn’s Marine Sciences enterprise (see below), the research program is examining a range of factors at wind-turbine construction sites and at sites not under construction. These studies allow comparisons of newly acquired and established baseline data, and allow for identification and quantification of any changes to the physical, chemical and biological components of the environments. For example, members of CIEROW will be augmenting historical data of larval and juvenile distributions with new environmental and biological observations. Regional simulations of ocean conditions enabled with particle tracking will be used to investigate potential impacts to the physical environment and distribution patterns of larval and juvenile species of commercial interest.

Leveraging faculty expertise of the Marine Sciences (https://marinesciences.uconn.edu) and Maritime Studies (https://maritimestudies.uconn.edu) programs, CIEROW is developing initiative for undergraduate and graduate education. These initiatives are an integral part of CIEROW’s long-term mission to train the next generation of scientists who will ensure sustainable development and operation of offshore wind power. In partnership with Connecticut Sea Grant and Mystic Aquarium we are engaging in public education that will focus on ocean literacy, wind energy, and the environmental research that is being undertaken by CIEROW.

Principal Investigators

Paola Batta-Lona (Ph.D., University of Connecticut)

Assistant Research Professor of Marine Sciences

paola.batta_lona@uconn.edu

 

 

 

 

Heidi Dierssen (Ph.D., University of California)

Professor of Marine Sciences/Geography

heidi.dierssen@uconn.edu

 

 

 

 

J. Evan Ward (Ph.D., University of Delaware)

Professor and Head of Marine Sciences

evan.ward@uconn.edu

 

Hannes Baumann (Ph.D., University of Hamburg, Germany)

Associate Professor of Marine Sciences

hannes.baumann@uconn.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Nathaniel Trumbull (Ph.D., University of Washington)

Associate Professor of Geography, Sustainability, Community and Urban Studies

nathaniel.trumbull@uconn.edu

 

 

 

 

Michael Whitney (Ph.D., University of Delaware)

Professor of Marine Sciences

Michael.Whitney@uconn.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Research Initiative 1

Examining planktonic biodiversity with eDNA and imaging techniques.

Research Initiative 2

Assessing overlaps between sand lance habitat and OSW lease areas.

Research Initiative 3

Quantifying vertical structure and connectivity within a regional context.

Research Initiative 4

Workforce development of offshore wind energy in New England: An energy justice perspective.

Operational Capacity of CIEROW

1. R/V Connecticut, a 90′ research vessel that is outfitted for year-round coastal service
2. R/V Lowell Weicker, a 36′ coastal research vessel that is outfitted for day-long operations
3. Underwater Robotics Laboratory with remotely operated vehicles and gliders;
4. SCUBA-diver supported underwater capabilities;
5. Coastal observing system with buoys and sensors;
6. Full complement of field-sampling equipment (e.g., Acoustic-Doppler-Current profiler, Conductivity-Temperature-Depth profiler, net trawls), analytical instruments, and expertise to collect and analyze environmental samples.

Affiliated Project Members

 

Research Funded by Ørsted

 

Partners