APEM will carry out ultra-high resolution aerial digital surveys of offshore wildlife off the coast of North and South Carolina, on behalf of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
The area has been identified as one where offshore wind farms may potentially be built in future and the survey will provide baseline data to help with the process of siting and permitting future developments. The newly contracted surveys off the Carolinas will gather data on birds, marine mammals, sharks, fish, turtles and other marine species in an area of almost 10,000 square nautical miles, giving scientists an understanding of the area’s wildlife. Information from the surveys will allow scientists to accurately estimate which species are present, how many there are of each species and where they are most likely to be found. APEM will be part of a team delivering the baseline data, working with Normandeau Associates Inc, Continental Shelf Associates and Azura Inc.