Nearly $2 million in additional funding is being allocated by the Murphy administration for efforts to ensure the safe and ecologically responsible development of offshore wind energy.

The funds will be used to study general species diversity in offshore wind development areas, to better understand offshore movement of harbor seals, and to deploy a whale detection buoy, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. “The buoy will listen for whales, and detections will be reviewed and used to inform NOAA’s Slow Zones for Right Whales program to mitigate risks associated with vessel strikes and future construction noise.” Funding is also being provided for New Jersey’s entry into the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance, a nonprofit organization leading a collaborative effort advancing fish and fisheries research related to offshore wind.

The announcement follows a public outcry over the recent stranding of whales and dolphins on beaches in New Jersey and New York, a trend that has led opponents of offshore wind to call for a moratorium on offshore wind projects.