Underwater video shows marine life thriving around offshore wind farm

BOSTON — Offshore wind proponents are touting new undersea footage suggesting a vibrant marine habitat is growing around the nation’s first offshore wind farm.

The American Wind Energy Association posted a short video on YouTube this week from Deepwater Wind’s five-turbine operation off Rhode Island.

The video shows mussels and fish clustered around the turbine bases, as well as positive testimonials from local recreational fishermen and charter boat owners.

Nancy Sopko, the association’s director of offshore wind, says the video shows the potential for the fishing industry as wind projects are planned all along the East Coast.

But Seth Rolbein, of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance in Massachusetts, cautions the footage does little to address commercial fishermen’s concerns of encountering problems like getting trawling gear damaged on undersea power cables.

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