Kanae Tokunaga and Hannah MacDonald, Gulf of Maine Research Institute

The workshop contributed to the participants' understanding of :

• ‘Full spectrum’ sustainability – including ecological, economic, social/cultural and governance outcomes – needed for future development (including offshore wind energy development). This is a challenge to management agencies and to researchers.  It requires an interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary, forward-looking perspective.
• Past and on-going socioeconomic research on offshore wind, including
  • A decade of social science research on offshore wind energy development in Southern New England, from the Block Island Wind Farm to large-scale projects currently under construction. Social dimensions of offshore wind development, particularly focusing on issues of justice, public acceptance, and community responses. (shared by Dr. David Bidwell)
  • Lessons learned from working with the Rhode Island fishery advisory board and offshore wind developers, during which the contentious nature of negotiations regarding impact mitigation led to the resignation of members of the board. (shared by Dr. Todd Guilfoos)
  • Approach and application of agent-based bioeconomic models in assessing fisheries economic impacts and discussed ongoing and future research direction. (shared by Dr. Andrew Scheld)
• BOEM's role in social science and economics research and what remains unaddressed in addition to providing guidance for fisheries mitigation. Additionally, the presenters provided updates on the leasing process for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine.
• IEA  conceptual model and current priority linkages, potential impacts, and possible indicators based on their review of public comments and reflections from participatory workshops.

The workshop participants identified and discussed three areas of socioeconomic research needs, including  i) cultural aspects of the fishery, ii) public trust in science, and iii) uncertainty and behavioral response to offshore wind.

The workshop also generated networking opportunities for socioeconomic researchers in the region. Many of the participants expressed that the workshop contributed to gaining a better understanding of the socioeconomic research landscape in the region, building a professional network, and helping stand-up future collaborations. As such, we expect the workshop to yield long-term societal benefits by accelerating and enhancing socioeconomic research to support the region’s offshore wind development process.

The full workshop summary report is available on GMRI website.