NATIONAL NEWS (LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J.) — Save Long Beach Island (Save LBI), a NJ-based nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting our oceans from needless industrialization, along with other concerned parties, filed suit against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to compel the agency to act on a 2025 petition intended to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW).
With a population that has dwindled dramatically in recent years, the magnificent right whale is inching perilously close to extinction as it faces a number of ongoing threats. Save LBI filed the petition a year ago on March 31, 2025 requesting NOAA to designate the whale’s primary historic migration corridor a “critical habitat” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
A critical habitat designation would deter wind-energy development in lease areas-such as the Atlantic Shores South and North areas off the coast of southern New Jersey-that were unwisely positioned in the whale’s primary migration corridor. Save LBI’s detailed analysis of operational noise from wind-energy complexes (summarized in the Addendum below) reveals that noise from operating wind turbines extends for miles where it remains above levels that disturb the whale’s behavior.
Despite what NOAA has said regarding prior, similar designations, a critical habitat designation for the NARW migration corridor would not regulate or restrict vessel traffic: The areas NOAA designates for lower vessel speeds are governed through separate authorities and processes and based on the presence of whales. Whether those areas are labeled critical habitat or not has no bearing on those restrictions.
Save Long Beach Island, Inc. (Save LBI) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting the marine environment, coastal ecosystems, and quality of life for residents and visitors of Long Beach Island and the surrounding region. The organization advocates for science-based, balanced policies that safeguard wildlife, preserve local economies, and promote responsible stewardship of ocean resources. Visit https://SaveLBI.org for more information.
SUMMARY (AI):
- Save Long Beach Island (Save LBI) and other groups sued NOAA for not responding to a 2025 petition aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
- The petition asks NOAA to designate the whale’s historic migration route along the East Coast as a protected “critical habitat” under the Endangered Species Act.
- Save LBI says offshore wind projects planned off southern New Jersey, including the Atlantic Shores areas, could harm whales because turbine noise may disrupt their behavior over long distances.
- The group also says creating a critical habitat would not automatically impose new vessel traffic restrictions, since ship speed rules are handled through separate NOAA processes.
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