Coastal Resilience, Offshore Wind, and Nature-Positive Solutions

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A panel with The Nature Conservancy and international partners

Offshore wind energy offers an unprecedented opportunity not only to accelerate the clean energy transition, but also to restore marine ecosystems and strengthen coastal resilience. As ocean habitats continue to decline globally, emerging approaches are exploring how renewable energy infrastructure can be designed to deliver both climate and ecological benefits.

This panel, led by Dr. Boze Hancock (The Nature Conservancy), brings together perspectives from the United States, Europe, and Australia to examine innovative, nature-positive solutions at the intersection of offshore wind and marine restoration. A central idea underpinning this work is both simple and transformative: integrating ecological design into offshore infrastructure (for example, by adding oyster larvae to the rocks used in wind installations) can help rebuild shellfish reefs, enhance biodiversity, and improve water quality.

The discussion will feature contributions from international partners, including a European NGO working on North Sea restoration and an Australian practitioner advancing large-scale shellfish reef restoration. Together, these perspectives will highlight how small design innovations can generate significant ecological gains when applied at scale.

The panel will also explore the scientific, policy, and implementation challenges associated with these approaches, as well as their relevance for Massachusetts and the broader New England region as offshore wind development accelerates.

The event will take place at the UMass Club in Boston, located in the same building as the UMass President’s Office and just steps from Boston City Hall. This central location is designed to facilitate participation from university leadership, policymakers, and regional partners, reinforcing the role of UMass as a convening hub for science-based solutions.