How would Cape Wind impact marine animals such as whales, seals, and turtles?
Marine species that are listed as endangered or threatened under federal or state law, and either occur or may occur in Nantucket Sound, include humpback, fin, and North Atlantic Right whales (federally endangered); loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, and leatherback turtles (federally endangered or threatened); and gray seals (state species of concern). Other species of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals may also occur in the Sound and are federally protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which establishes a general prohibition against “taking” marine mammals in U.S. waters. Gray and harbor seals maintain haul out and breeding grounds in Nantucket Sound year-round within 7 to 11 nautical miles (13 to 20.4 kilometers) of the project site. Animals in the project area during construction can be expected to avoid noise sources temporarily in the same way that they would avoid a large ferry, passenger vessel, or fishing traffic. In its draft EIS the Army Corps of Engineers concluded t
