Fellowship Farewell from Carina Burroughs
By Carina Burroughs, NOAA Fisheries
On a boat ride hosted by the Makah Tribe, with Cape Flattery in the background.
It’s hard to believe that my WCOA fellowship is soon wrapping up, but I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the skills I’ve developed over the past year. My role as the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Offshore Wind Energy Team Support Lead has allowed me to contribute to a range of projects related to marine resources and offshore wind development, and my knowledge and skills have grown considerably throughout the fellowship.
A big part of my role is supporting project coordination and logistics, and it’s been exciting to see many projects progress over the past year. I’ve helped organize and coordinate groups of NOAA Fisheries staff working on spatial data layers to inform potential future offshore wind siting along the West Coast and related analyses. Identifying suitable areas for wind energy development while minimizing impacts to marine ecosystems and other ocean users is challenging, but it's been exciting to work with these subject matter experts and learn the best approaches to such complicated work.
Throughout my fellowship, I’ve also served as the lead for coordinating and managing a reference library regarding offshore wind energy publications. Started by agency colleagues on the east coast, I coordinated with them to make it accessible to west coast staff. In managing this effort for our west coast team, I ensured they could easily access it and add and search for publications. As a way to encourage library use and keep everyone updated, I provided a monthly summary of new resources and I periodically gave presentations on the tool during team meetings. It’s been really cool to see this library evolve and grow during my time at NOAA Fisheries and to foster that growth in the west coast region.
I’m also wrapping up an independent research project, under the guidance of scientists from NOAA’s California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (CCIEA) Team and West Coast Offshore Wind Team Chair. I had the opportunity to present an initial iteration of this project to the WCOA membership at the WCOA Offshore Wind Energy Summit in April. I reviewed some of the public comments around an offshore wind planning step to identify the types of issues and concerns being raised that pertain to NOAA Fisheries trust resources. I used the science priorities outlined in NOAA Fisheries West Coast Offshore Wind Energy Strategic Science Plan to create a framework and then qualitatively analyzed public comment letters to identify key issues raised. While my work was a pilot effort, the method may have potential for future use to analyze additional public comment letters and help the agency understand what issues are of most concern and interest to various ocean user groups.
One of my major takeaways from this fellowship is the power of collaboration and the importance of engaging with communities and partners on science and management. Consulting and engaging with tribes is a critical part of NOAA Fisheries’ work, and I’ve learned a lot about its importance during my fellowship. This past spring, I participated in government-to-government consultations with the Makah Tribe and the Quinault Indian Nation and heard their perspectives on the challenges associated with offshore wind development. It was inspiring to learn about science and management efforts past and present and to watch new ideas and solutions be discussed.
Touring sites along the Klamath River.
Back in April, I had the opportunity to visit dam removal and restoration sites along the Klamath River Basin and learn from those who worked on the largest dam removal project in history. It was clear to me that the key to this achievement and continued restoration efforts was close collaboration and partnership between NOAA Fisheries, state agencies, tribes, and many other partners. It’s motivating to think about the massive positive impact we can have for ecosystems when we work cooperatively and collaboratively. I’ve also seen the importance of collaboration through NOAA Fisheries' role in the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC). During my fellowship I’ve attended PFMC meetings and meetings of the PFMC’s Marine Planning Committee. The ability to meet with members of the commercial fishing industry and to learn more about their priorities and concerns has been a valuable experience and shaped my interest in continuing to work in fisheries science and management.
With Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, Janet Coit, West Coast Regional Administrator Jennifer Quan, and fellow WCOA fellow Suzie O’Neill, visiting dam removal and restoration sites along the Klamath River.
I am excited to build on my experiences in this fellowship and to continue to work to support healthy marine ecosystems and the needs of coastal communities as my career progresses. I am grateful for the knowledge I have gained about offshore wind-related regulatory processes and science, the skills I have fostered in project coordination and facilitation, and the experience of collaborating with so many partners on important issues. I am deeply appreciative of the WCOA staff, the other WCOA fellows, the many amazing people I have worked with at NOAA Fisheries, and my supportive mentor Lilah Ise.
