Triton team members have been on the move! From fieldwork in California to tank experiments in New Hampshire and sharing Triton’s work at the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting, it’s been a big month for Triton.
Spotlight: Sonar Tank Experiments at UNH
Triton researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and partners at the University of New Hampshire (UNH)-led Atlantic Marine Energy Center, spent a week at the Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory. (Photos by Makena Lee | University of New Hampshire)
Triton quantitative ecologist Kate Buenau and fish biologist Garrett Staines with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) led a workshop with several sonar subject matter experts at the Jere A. Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). The goal of the workshop was to inform one of the monitoring challenges addressing the risk of collision between animals and tidal and riverine turbines identified during the development of the Probability of Encounter Model (PoEM). The goal of the PoEM project is to develop a model that estimates the probability of fish encountering turbines during movement or migration periods. The model uses data collected from side looking sonar, an active acoustic method for estimating the biomass of salmon smolt approaching a deployed riverine turbine. Data collected in the Kvichak River, Alaska were used to create the PoEM framework and the work conducted at UNH will improve the model’s performance.
Schools of fish—like the out-migrating sockeye salmon smolt in the Kvichak River, are difficult to observe acoustically since the return sonar signal shows a combination of many fish rather than individuals. The PoEM team is investigating if the location (depth) of the fish schools detected in the sonar beam are precise enough to inform PoEM and help regulators make scientifically supported decisions about fish interactions with turbines in the river.
The experiments conducted at UNH were an excellent opportunity to convene with Triton partners and address data gaps in active acoustics research and theory, ultimately aiming to improve data collection for monitoring fish in rivers and shallow channels.
Field Notes: Flying High with the Marine Wildlife Detection and Tracking Project
The deployed tethered balloon system off the California coastline during the most recent validation test. (All photos by Cailene Gunn| Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
Triton researchers recently traveled to the Central California coast to embark on the next phase of the Marine Wildlife Detection and Tracking Project—monitoring marine wildlife at sea. The fieldwork took place at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center Granite Canyon field site near Carmel, California. This site is well-situated for observing marine wildlife, including gray whales as they migrate to breeding lagoons off the western coast of Baja, Mexico from their feeding grounds in colder waters to the north. Project lead Alicia Amerson, in partnership with Darielle Dexheimer and her team from Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia), deployed a tethered balloon system (TBS) and sensor package to monitor gray whales and other coastal wildlife.
Observing gray whales at sunset using a camera with 6K resolution.
The sensor package included thermal and optical cameras deployed at different altitudes and times of day. The goal of the project is to test the TBS system as a potential longer-term monitoring technology for observing marine wildlife occurrence and behavior at marine energy sites.
A researcher from Sandia National Laboratories conducts periodic thermal camera scans and human validation observations during TBS operations.
While in California, the team collected nearly 50 hours of imagery data that included migrating gray whales, dolphins, harbor seals, sea otters, and a diversity of seabirds inhabiting this lively coastal habitat. The research team is excited to dig into the rich dataset to help evaluate the novel TBS method’s ability to detect, track, and observe marine species around marine energy sites.
The sun sets beyond the horizon as the team prepares the TBS for nighttime operations.
The research team is grateful to partners and collaborators at Sandia, the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and the University of California Davis for helping make this research possible.
Triton team members are all smiles at OSM after a week of learning, networking, and sharing Triton’s work! (Photo by the Triton team)
Last week, the Triton team and many researchers from PNNL’s Coastal Sciences Division headed to New Orleans, Louisiana to present at the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) and attend vibrant talks and discussions about marine and coastal research. Triton presentations included:
Triton was one of many Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office efforts and PNNL projects represented at the conference. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with ocean science researchers from around the world. Have questions about our talks, let us know!
Marine Energy Careers Panel Recording Posted
PNNL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Sandia recently hosted an informational webinar featuring national laboratory staff working to advance the marine energy industry. Staff across various research disciplines discussed their own ocean energy careers, backgrounds, and current projects. Watch now.
Triton is designed to support the development and testing of more precise and cost-effective environmental monitoring technologies for marine energy. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory leads Triton on behalf of the Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.
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