Balancing marine species conservation with cost-effective renewable energy development

Climate change is necessitating renewable energy development while contributing to shifting wildlife phenology and distribution. Renewable energy may require anthropogenic activity and wildlife to co-occur. Here we develop a framework to identify trade-offs between financial costs to developers and conservation, considering the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and offshore wind energy development. By coupling an offshore wind energy construction simulation with a density surface model to quantify the number of right whales exposed to pile-driving noise under ten mitigation scenarios, we highlight mitigation measures, notably seasonal restrictions and noise attenuating devices, that can yield conservation value with minimal financial burden. As societies continue to refine and determine suitable financial and ecological trade-offs for development, frameworks like ours can be useful for exploring conservation challenges to ensure co-benefits for climate and biodiversity. The authors consider the potential conflict between renewable energy development (offshore wind) and wildlife (North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis). They demonstrate a framework to identify trade-offs under different scenarios, maximizing conservation with minimal financial burden.