Flight Activity and Offshore Movements of Nano-Tagged Bats on Martha’s Vineyard, MA

The northern long-eared bat was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2016, following dramatic population declines associated with the spread of the fungal disease known as White-Nose Syndrome. However, the species continues to persist in the Cape and Islands region on Massachusetts, including Martha's Vineyard. Southern New England waters are likely to be an area of increasing offshore wind development in the coming decades, but the potential threat this development may post to norther long-eared bats and other bat species remains largely unknown. In 2016, we conducted an automated telemetry study of northern long-eared bats on Martha's Vineyard to monitor flight activity and document any offshore movements.