The past six months have been fast-moving at ROSA. We are making a lot of progress, thanks in large part to contributions from many in our widening circle. We now have an Advisory Council in place. We have had rich conversations with many constituents and are planning more outreach. And, this fall, we will begin outlining research priorities in collaboration with our partners. It is exciting to see the building blocks of our organization come together!

Today’s communication is focused on providing you with an overview of recent developments and key milestones on the horizon. For those of you who are new to the alliance, ROSA’s mission is to advance scientific research that will inform interactions between offshore wind and ecosystems in the region. We are objective (and have equal numbers of representatives from fisheries and offshore wind on our board), inclusive, and dedicated to generating credible research and enhancing collaboration.

This summer, ROSA established an Advisory Council, which will provide substantive direction and strategic guidance to the organization. The council is comprised of developers holding federal leases and representatives from commercial and recreational fishing industries, federal agencies, the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and interested states. Over time, the Advisory Council will be establishing area- and topic-specific committees, comprised of Advisory Council members and other experts such as scientists from academia, research organizations, and technical firms, that will conduct ROSA’s core work. A list of council members can be found on the Leadership page of our website. Thank you to all who have agreed to be a member of this important group.

The first meeting of the Advisory Council, which will be open to the public, will be held on September 28. Please join us for the meeting. You can read the agenda here and register here.

Synthesis of Science Workshop 

ROSA is looking forward to participating in the Synthesis of Science workshop this October, which is being sponsored by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). I am serving on the planning team and view the meeting as a great opportunity to begin defining ROSA research priorities. We hope you will join the workshop, and share your knowledge and expertise.

We are excited to announce that we have recently launched a more comprehensive website with information on ROSA’s mission, leadership, and resources. Check it out at rosascience.org. The website will serve as the hub for information and news related to ROSA’s ongoing activities.

I want to close by saying thank you to all who have welcomed me to ROSA and have supported the growth of the organization. I am grateful to be working with all of you and look forward to tackling our most critical work – developing research – in coming months.

Photos courtesy of Atlantic Capes Fisheries and Ørsted