OCTOBER 2021

TRITON'S STORIES SPOTLIGHTS AN INTERN'S SUMMER EXPERIENCE

This month’s story is told by Triton intern Christa Hvidsten. During her 10-week internship, she analyzed underwater noise data to find whale vocalizations near the PacWave marine energy test center in Newport, Oregon. Hvidsten also shares about her experience as part of the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships program. Read all about Christa’s time with Triton and her study results here.

FIELD NOTES

Hemery standing with the BoxFish 360-degree camera technology that she will be deploying at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Photo by Alicia Amerson.

The Triton team is California bound!

One of the most important parts of assessing environmental monitoring technologies for marine energy systems is testing technology in the field. The Triton Field Trials underwater noise and changes in habitat research teams are preparing to travel to La Jolla, California, to deploy environmental monitoring technologies around the CalWave wave energy converter that is performing tests off the Ellen Browning Memorial Pier at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography is partnering with the Triton team by providing vessel support on the new R/V Bob and Betty Beyster to perform underwater noise measurements around the CalWave device. The Triton team will also deploy small vessels from the Scripps campus to monitor changes in habitat.

Over the past year, CalWave and Triton have built a unique partnership, and CalWave is providing an opportunity for Triton to test environmental monitoring technologies to develop a set of recommendations that benefit the industry.  The lack of environmental monitoring data and test methodologies happens to be one of the biggest hurdles that wave energy converter developers, like CalWave, have for long-term testing and deployment. Through this partnership, Triton will provide information that will help developers advance toward implementing marine energy devices.

Triton will perform two tests, one for underwater noise measurements and the second to monitor changes in habitat. Ocean scientist Joe Haxel is leading the underwater noise research during which the team will deploy underwater acoustic technologies to characterize sound around the CalWave device. Marine biologist Lenaig Hemery is leading the research on changes in habitat and will test a 360-degree camera around the device to capture footage of sediment dynamics, marine animal species composition, and other visual effects to habitats at the site.

The results and recommendations from these two field tests, as well as results from previous tests to address collision risk and electromagnetic fields, will be published in an upcoming special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering.

TRITON NEWS

Podcast: Water Women Features Triton

Listen to Triton project manager Alicia Amerson on the Water Women podcast: Episode 84 - What is the deal with Marine Energy with Alicia Amerson. In this interview, she talks with Jill Corey, the podcast’s host all about marine energy, her path to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Triton’s role in progressing the marine energy industry in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Watch Triton's Latest Video! 

The Triton Field Trials underwater noise team conducted tests at the University of New Hampshire Living Bridge this past summer. Check out this video to learn about underwater noise and why this research is so important for advancing the marine energy industry.

SPOTLIGHT: TRITON WELCOMES EMMA COTTER TO THE TEAM!

Emma Cotter is an environmental engineer who recently joined the Triton Initiative to lead the project’s scoping effort for an environmental monitoring campaign. Cotter joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory after completing her PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, where she developed methods and instrumentation platforms for environmental monitoring at marine energy sites. Her research involves using sensing and data-processing approaches to understand the impacts of human interactions with the ocean. Welcome to the team, Emma!

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.

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