DFO MS Thesis Defense: Sink or Source? by Andie Painten
Department of Fisheries Oceanography
MS Thesis Defense
"Sink or Source? The attraction versus production theory at an offshore wind farm using black sea bass as a case study"
By: Andie Painten
Advisor
Dr. Kevin Stokesbury (UMass Dartmouth)
Committee Members
Dr. Geoffrey Cowles (UMass Dartmouth), Dr. Sam Truesdell (NOAA)
Friday May 8, 2026
10:00 AM
SMAST East 101-103
836 S. Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford
and via Zoom
Abstract:
Offshore wind farms introduce complex habitat into historically sandy areas, potentially attracting structure-seeking species. This habitat may provide favorable conditions for food and shelter to support complete life cycles, potentially increasing local abundance or establishing new populations. This project evaluated the suitability of the Vineyard Wind 1 development area for each life-history stage of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) using data from a suite of fisheries monitoring surveys and available life history literature. Spatial and temporal trends in distribution, derived from catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) estimates for larval, juvenile, and adult black sea bass, revealed an absence of larvae and only a transient presence of juveniles and adults. Analyses of diet, sex, and maturity were consistent with existing literature, including feeding patterns and lack of spawning in the study area. Results further suggest that the introduction of complex habitat will provide suitable spawning habitat and increased available food sources; these strong attractants may result in the increased occurrence of black sea bass to turbines. If turbines are used as spawning habitat this may alter larval dispersal. Larval distribution may also be affected by changing hydrodynamic conditions in the windfarm area. This research constitutes the baseline information required to determine if windfarms will act as a population sink (attracting but not producing new black sea bass populations) or source (completing the life cycle in a new area resulting in population expansion).
Join Meeting
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/9895387107
Note: Meeting ID and passcode required, please email contact to obtain.
For additional information, please contact Callie Rumbut at c.rumbut@umassd.edu
SMAST East 101-103
: 836 S. Rodney French Boulevard, New Bedford MA 02744
Callie Rumbut
c.rumbut@umassd.edu
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/9895387107