Funded by the Department of Energy, along with a number of partners, the collaborative Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies Project, led by the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), helps improve understanding of species composition and use of the Mid-Atlantic marine environment in order to promote more sustainable offshore wind development. This first-of-its-kind study along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States delivers two years of high quality baseline data to wind energy regulators, developers, and other stakeholders through a mix of technologies such as boat and aerial surveys that fill in critical information gaps on seabirds, marine mammals, sea turtles, and other species. The scale of this extensive study covers over 5,000 square miles of ocean waters along the Eastern Seaboard of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.