From the Executive Director

DEAR ROSA COMMUNITY:

The team at ROSA is really excited about the great work happening over the next few months.

Later this summer, we will launch an updated version of FishFORWRD as a user-friendly web tool cataloging current research projects and research needs. Maintaining this interactive database is an important part of ROSA’s commitment to providing a central resource for ongoing offshore wind fisheries research. It will also give ROSA, research funders, and scientists a way to identify important knowledge gaps to prioritize future projects.

Also in this issue, Tricia Perez, our Research Project Manager, discusses how ROSA is bringing research funders together to discuss current work and future funding opportunities. Doing so helps ensure FishFORWRD includes the most recent research being conducted along the Atlantic Coast.

This month, ROSA will attend NYSERDA’s State of the Science Workshop. Our Research Director, Mike Pol, and I will lead a discussion on our findings from ROSA’s Fisheries monitoring listening sessions. Mike will also participate in two other sessions, and the ROSA science team will be in attendance, including our summer interns. We look forward to seeing you there.

ROSA recently welcomed five new members to its Board of Directors. Our board started as a collaboration between the OSW and fishing industries and has worked hard since its inception to provide fiduciary oversight and overall direction. As we began to launch programs related to our mission, it became clear that the board would benefit from additional perspectives. Recently, five new members who work in fields related to fisheries and OSW, but are not directly associated with either industry, have joined our board. Meet them in this issue.

Regards,

ROSA Expands Board & Welcomes Five New Members

Since its founding, ROSA has operated under the guidance of its Board of Directors, a dedicated group of representatives from the fishing and offshore wind industries. Together, they have navigated the complex intersection of their respective industry’s needs and environmental stewardship, shaping ROSA into a respected authority in offshore wind fisheries science.

As ROSA expands its scope and influence, the need for diverse perspectives has become increasingly apparent. The board decided it was in ROSA’s best interest to expand its membership to include those with expertise in OSW and fisheries who are not directly affiliated with either sector.

Did you miss the June 19 ROSA Advisory Council meeting? No worries. We have a recap here.

Executive Director Reneé Reilly presented findings from ROSA’s sector-by-sector monitoring guidance discussions held Fall 2023 through Winter 2024. From their unique perspective, each group discussed challenges and opportunities.

To build on these discussions at the AC meeting, ROSA and the Consensus Building Institute (CBI) moderated mixed-sector breakout groups to brainstorm actions the OSW fisheries research community and ROSA can take to address identified challenges.

ROSA to Launch FishFORWRD

First Funder's Meeting Held

One of ROSA’s strategic goals is to administer regional OSW fisheries research. An important piece of this goal is FishFORWRD, which will launch later this summer. At the June 14 Advisory Council meeting, attendees received a sneak peek of FishFORWRD’s capabilities, along with updates on the first Regional OSW Fisheries Funder Coordination Meeting.

“With the launch of FishFORWRD and the Funder Coordination Meeting, OSW fisheries researchers and funders will have a resource to access science-backed research,” said Tricia Perez, ROSA’s Research Project Manager. “The database will also promote alignment across funding organizations, allowing funders to target high-priority research needs.”

ROSA on the ROAD

NYSERDA 2024 State of the Science Workshop on Offshore Wind Energy, Wildlife, and Fisheries

July 16 - 19 | Long Island, NY

ROSA-led symposiums and presentations below.

Symposium: Offshore Wind & Fisheries Monitoring Plan Development, Implementation, and Evolution Discussion Session. July 16 at 1:15 p.m.

Symposium: Building Sustainable Offshore Wind Futures Through Collaborative Research Programs. July 18 at 9:15 a.m.

Side Meeting: Surfclam Stock Enhancement: Who, What, When, and Where Next?

Poster Presentation Offshore Wind Related Fisheries Resource Data Production, Storage, and Accessibility. July 18 & 19

August-September Meetings

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

August 12 - 15 | Philadelphia, PA Executive Director Reneé Reilly attending.

ICES Annual Science Conference

September 9 - 12 | Gateshead, UK

Research Director Mike Pol presenting two posters.

American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting

September 15 - 19 | Honolulu, HI

ROSA is co-convening symposium on offshore wind, fish, and fisheries; Research Project Manager Tricia Perez presenting.

AFLOAT 2024

September 24 - 25 | Portland, ME

Research Director Mike Pol attending.

Before you go, I invite you to follow ROSA on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X for the latest updates and information on offshore wind fisheries research and monitoring along the East Coast.

Best Regards,

Reneé Reilly, Ph.D.

Executive Director, ROSA

Renee@rosascience.org