Offshore Wind and the Sakonnet River: A Dialogue for Coastal Communities

Experts in fisheries and marine science were joined by members of the community at the Common Fence Point Community Center in Portsmouth, RI to discuss concerns related to offshore wind energy and the Sakonnet River.
The Sakonnet River flows 14 miles on the easterly side of Narragansett Bay between the mainland and the eastern shore, and is being considered for the installation of transmission cables from prospective offshore wind projects to Brayton Power State in Somerset, MA.
Experts provided information about the Sakonnet River’s natural resources, such as fish and fish habitats, and discussed potential effects from offshore wind energy development. Additional questions raised by community participants will guide the next two public meetings.
Speakers:
Conor McManus, Chief of RI DEM Division of Marine Fisheries
Kevin Stokesbury, professor in the Department of Fisheries Oceanography, School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Dave Bethoney, Executive Director of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation
Capt. Richard Hittinger, 1st Vice President of Rhode Island Saltwater Angler Association
Event sponsors: Rhode Island Sea Grant, URI Coastal Resources Center, URI Graduate School of Oceanography, Town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association.
To download the PowerPoint presentations from this event, please visit drive.google.c...