Suffolk Reporter

In 2016, Block Island, Rhode Island, became home to the first commercial offshore wind farm in the United States. This shift replaced five diesel generators with five offshore wind turbines. On October 25, a group from Stony Brook University had the opportunity to visit this installation. The team of 50 people from various disciplines embarked on a research vessel to observe the wind turbines up close.

Stony Brook University is actively engaged in research related to wind power as part of its role within The New York Climate Exchange. Heather Lynch, director of Collaborative for the Earth (C4E) and professor at Stony Brook's Institute for Advanced Computational Science, highlighted efforts to incorporate offshore wind into academic activities. "We’ve worked to integrate offshore wind into a number of classroom activities and student events," she said.

The expedition was led by Lynch alongside Reuben Kline from the Department of Political Science and David Taylor from SoMAS. Lynch emphasized the value of firsthand experience: "It’s important to get faculty and students out of the classroom and into the wild."

Linda O’Keeffe, chair of Stony Brook University’s Department of Art and an expert in acoustic ecology, sought to capture sounds that merge oceanic elements with those produced by wind turbines. She shared her long-standing interest in these structures: "I’ve been researching wind turbines for over eight years."

O’Keeffe also expressed concerns about potential impacts on marine life due to sound frequencies emitted by turbines. She mentioned findings that suggest fish may avoid areas near hydrokinetic turbines due to perceived threats.

Students like Iris Rosenhagen and Jason Jiang joined the trip with aspirations linked to sustainable energy careers. Rosenhagen aims for a future in green energy and permaculture while Jiang explores options within mechanical engineering.

Sharon Pochron from SoMAS noted her involvement in climate change projects like carbon sequestration using water ferns and expressed curiosity about public opinions regarding turbine proximity and aesthetics.

Earlier this year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced grants through Offshore Wind Training Institute aimed at workforce development across several universities including Stony Brook.

The visit featured participation from diverse academic fields such as mechanical engineering, art, political science, ecology, and marine sciences. Lynch observed that such cross-disciplinary interaction fosters shared understanding: "This is a chance to realize that artists and engineers and marine scientists can all be thinking about the same things."

— Robert Emproto