R-24-26-Bates Co-design of virtual environments for commercial fishing and offshore wind interactions

Alison Bates
Colby College

State and federal policies that encourage offshore wind as a solution to meet clean energy targets have set in motion significant interest in developing offshore wind throughout the U.S. In Maine, fishermen have expressed a strong interest in the ability to visualize hypothetical offshore wind technologies to better understand how offshore wind will affect livelihoods. This project will develop and test a prototype immersive virtual environment that includes floating wind infrastructure for fishermen to experience the underwater motions of floating wind turbines. This will help advance understanding of how fishing communities perceive risks and uncertainty in operating within and around wind turbines, inform whether co-existence solutions exist, and offer opportunities for fishers to advise on the realities of operational changes.

Two-year project, 2024-2026
Sea Grant funds: $199,938