Citing worldwide whale strandings, device comparisons and data from seismic survey associations, a local grassroots organization believes its new study supports a correlation between the increase in marine mammal deaths off the coast of New Jersey and the use of sonar by survey vessels related to offshore wind projects.

“We are aware of your agency’s position that there is no evidence to support such a connect, but (we) believe that there actually is,” Bob Stern, president of Save LBI, wrote in…