Federal officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, along with their partners from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, last week emphatically shot down the premise that recent incidents of whale strandings and deaths off New Jersey and New York are related to offshore wind survey work.

Several dead whales have washed ashore in New Jersey and New York this winter. It's not that unusual - but many of the headlines and the social media firestorm around their deaths have been. Several reports have questioned whether the whale deaths might be connected to the development of wind turbines off the coast, despite there being no evidence of that.

A spate of nine whale deaths in New York and New Jersey in the last two months have prompted several New Jersey GOP lawmakers to question whether the deaths were linked to development of a major proposed offshore wind farm in the area. But scientists say there’s no evidence to support a connection between the two.

In less than two months, seven dead whales have washed up on the shores of New Jersey and New York. What's behind the mortalities has not been clearly established, but theories abound. Some have pointed blame at offshore wind development in the region and claimed construction of the sites causes harm to marine animals. But federal officials are pushing back, saying that's not what the evidence shows.

Some activists have raised questions about whether recent whale strandings are tied to offshore wind activities.

BRIGANTINE, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s governor said Jan. 13 he does not think undersea preparations for offshore wind farms should be halted in response to a recent spate of whale deaths in New Jersey and New York.

Environmental and fishing groups said Tuesday there is "no evidence" that site preparation work for offshore wind farms in New Jersey and New York is responsible for a spate of whale deaths in the two states.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Environmental and fishing groups said Tuesday there is “no evidence” that site preparation work for offshore wind farms in New Jersey and New York is responsible for a spate of whale deaths in the two states.

Environmental and fishing groups said Tuesday there is “no evidence” that site preparation work for offshore wind farms in New Jersey and New York is responsible for a spate of whale deaths in the two states.

Five days after the seventh dead whale in six weeks washed up on New Jersey’s shoreline, environmentalists put out dueling calls to continue or curtail offshore wind work, though no evidence shows it caused the casualties.