Save LBI Sues NOAA Over Whale Habitat

Save Long Beach Island, a non-profit organization, has filed a lawsuit against the United States — National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to compel the agency to act on a year-old petition. The petition, filed on March 31, 2025, requests that NOAA designate the primary historic migration corridor of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale as a 'critical habitat' under the Endangered Species Act. This designation would require federal agencies to evaluate and avoid actions, such as large-scale offshore industrial development, that could destroy or degrade the corridor. Save Long Beach Island's analysis suggests that noise from offshore wind-energy complexes, like those in the Atlantic Shores South and North areas, could significantly disturb the North Atlantic right whale's behavior and impede its migration. The lawsuit aims to ensure the survival of the approximately 380 remaining North Atlantic right whales by creating a protected link between existing critical habitats.