The development, construction and fisheries monitoring of Orsted’s South Fork Wind Farm

Chris Sarro, Marine Scientist, Ørsted

Robert Soden, Permit Manager, Ørsted

 

Developing and building an offshore wind farm in the US is a long, complicated process which entails years of permitting and site investigation before construction can begin.  Orsted’s South Fork Wind project will be the first commercial scale offshore wind farm to be completed in the US.  This project took almost 10 years to complete from the time of the lease purchase to delivery of first power.  Part of the permitting process is developing and executing a fisheries monitoring plan to examine the effects of offshore wind construction and operations on commercially, ecologically and recreationally important species.  This talk will provide a high-level overview of the development process and construction activities for South Fork Wind including a detailed look at the fisheries monitoring for the project.

 

Robert Soden is a Permit Manager with Orsted, working on the South Fork Wind project. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Coastal Studies from the University of Connecticut. Robert has been with Orsted for over four years. Prior to joining Orsted he worked as a consultant for thirteen years with a focus on in-water infrastructure projects.

 

 

Chris Sarro is a Marine Scientist with Orsted focusing on fish and fisheries monitoring across Orsted’s US projects.  He started with Orsted as a Fisheries Liaison in late 2019 and started his Marine Scientist Role in late 2022.  Prior to joining Orsted, he worked as a research scientist for the National Marine Fisheries Service and as a research technician at the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology.  He holds a BS in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a MSc from the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology.

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