Responsible Offshore Development Alliance

Responsible Offshore Development Alliance is a non-profit organization registered to receive federal grant awards since September 12, 2018. As a corporate entity with tax-exempt status, it focuses on improving fishing industry engagement in offshore wind planning and development processes. The organization serves as a liaison between commercial fishing communities, regulatory agencies, and offshore energy developers, working to enhance data collection, research, and policy development related to offshore energy projects and their impact on fisheries.

Through its federal grant awards and sub-awards, Responsible Offshore Development Alliance has undertaken various projects to support the fishing industry and marine resource management. A recent prime grant from the Office of Naval Research involves engaging the U.S. commercial fishing community to develop recommendations for fishery-sensitive Marine Corps Depot of Repair (MCDR) governance, collaborative research, monitoring, and outreach. The organization also received a cooperative agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve fishing industry engagement in offshore wind planning and development processes. As a sub-grantee, Responsible Offshore Development Alliance has partnered with academic institutions like the University System of New Hampshire and the University of Maine System to work on projects such as developing the Fisheries Knowledge Trust, a platform for aggregating and sharing fishermen's ecological knowledge securely, and exploring the use of proprietary commercial lobstering data to inform offshore wind development. These projects demonstrate the organization's commitment to bridging the gap between the fishing industry, regulatory bodies, and energy developers while prioritizing data confidentiality and the interests of fishermen.