NOVEMBER 2021

TRITON STORIES: INTRODUCING TRITON 3.0

The Triton team is excited to introduce a collection of projects that will advance the project’s mission to reduce permitting barriers for marine energy deployments by researching stressor/receptor interactions. Recently, Triton was awarded funding by the Department of Energy, Water Power Technologies Office to conduct stressor/receptor research, informally called Triton 3.0. This phase will focus on understanding how receptors, such as marine mammals, fish, or habitats, interact with potential stressors or parts of a marine energy device or system that may stress or harm the marine environment. Topics the Triton team will explore include:

• effects of anthropogenic light,
• measuring acoustic particle motion,
• modeling collision risk probability,
• integrated engineering solutions for turbines,
• benthic organism response to EMF, and
• marine wildlife tracking and monitoring using aerial technologies

These studies will be conducted over the next three years, with the goal of working to streamline the collection and processing of monitoring data to inform regulators and developers in the marine energy industry. With this research, Triton plans to find ways to partner with the offshore wind research program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to aid in permitting and to address regulatory concerns for ocean-based renewable energy sources. Read more.

FIELD NOTES

Underwater noise research lead Joe Haxel and engineer James McVey assemble the hydrophone lander at PNNL-Sequim. Photo by Alicia Amerson.

Triton’s underwater noise research team is preparing to field test monitoring technologies around the CalWave wave energy converter at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. The team will deploy three seafloor lander systems designed by Deepwater Buoyancy outfitted with SoundTrap hydrophones from Ocean Instruments. The hydrophone landers consist of a tripod frame and a pop-up acoustic release system that enable long-term deployments without a surface expression or lines in the water. The hydrophones will record underwater noise for several months in a wide variety of environmental conditions. This information will provide detailed descriptions of sounds emitted by the CalWave wave energy converter and other components of the project’s test, including things like moorings.

TRITON NEWS

Triton's Cailene Gunn Featured in Water Women Podcast

Cailene Gunn was recently featured on the Water Women Podcast: Episode 92: Communicating Science is Fun!! – Cailene Gunn. In this episode, Cailene talks all about her path to science, her role as Triton’s communications and outreach lead, and why science communication is important for making research impactful and meaningful.

Did you listen to the Water Women episode featuring Triton project manager Alicia Amerson? Listen here: Episode 84 -What is the deal with Marine Energy with Alicia Amerson

@PNNLAB on Instagram and Triton Stories 

For the past year, Triton has been featured on the @PNNLab Instagram account under the Triton Stories button. If you haven’t already, come check out more behind-the-scenes action by the Triton team in our Instagram stories and learn more about the other research performed at PNNL.

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE

What do you think is the largest barrier to deploying marine energy? Any ideas on how to overcome that barrier? 

Please respond to tritonmre@pnnl.gov with your answer! 

Pass this to a friend! Click here to subscribe to the newsletter. 

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 U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.

Connect With Us