Skip to main content

PNNL

  • About
  • News & Media
  • Careers
  • Events
  • Research
    • Scientific Discovery
      • Biology
        • Chemical Biology
        • Computational Biology
        • Ecosystem Science
        • Human Health
          • Cancer Biology
          • Exposure Science & Pathogen Biology
          • Metabolic Inflammatory Diseases
        • Integrative Omics
          • Advanced Metabolomics
          • Chemical Biology
          • Mass Spectrometry-Based Measurement Technologies
          • Spatial and Single-Cell Proteomics
          • Structural Biology
        • Microbiome Science
          • Biofuels & Bioproducts
          • Human Microbiome
          • Soil Microbiome
          • Synthetic Biology
      • Chemistry
        • Computational Chemistry
        • Chemical Separations
        • Chemical Physics
        • Catalysis
      • Earth & Coastal Sciences
        • Atmospheric Science
          • Atmospheric Aerosols
          • Human-Earth System Interactions
          • Modeling Earth Systems
        • Coastal Science
        • Ecosystem Science
        • Plant Science
        • Subsurface Science
        • Terrestrial Aquatics
      • Materials Sciences
        • Materials in Extreme Environments
        • Precision Materials by Design
        • Science of Interfaces
        • Solid Phase Processing
          • Cold Spray
          • Friction Stir Welding & Processing
          • ShAPE
      • Nuclear & Particle Physics
        • Dark Matter
        • Flavor Physics
        • Fusion Energy Science
        • Neutrino Physics
      • Quantum Information Sciences
    • Sustainable Energy
      • Electric Grid Modernization
        • Emergency Response
        • Grid Analytics
          • AGM Program
          • Tools and Capabilities
        • Grid Architecture
        • Grid Cybersecurity
        • Grid Energy Storage
        • Grid Resilience and Decarbonization
          • Earth System Modeling
          • Energy System Modeling
        • Transmission
        • Distribution
      • Energy Efficiency
        • Appliance and Equipment Standards
        • Building Energy Codes
        • Building Technologies
          • Advanced Building Controls
          • Advanced Lighting
          • Building-Grid Integration
        • Building and Grid Modeling
        • Commercial Buildings
        • Federal Buildings
          • Federal Performance Optimization
          • Resilience and Security
        • Grid Resilience and Decarbonization
        • Residential Buildings
          • Building America Solution Center
          • Energy Efficient Technology Integration
          • Home Energy Score
        • Energy Efficient Technology Integration
      • Energy Storage
        • Electrochemical Energy Storage
        • Flexible Loads and Generation
        • Grid Integration, Controls, and Architecture
        • Regulation, Policy, and Valuation
        • Science Supporting Energy Storage
        • Chemical Energy Storage
      • Environmental Management
        • Waste Processing
        • Radiation Measurement
        • Environmental Remediation
      • Fossil Energy
        • Subsurface Energy Systems
        • Carbon Management
          • Carbon Capture
          • Carbon Storage
          • Carbon Utilization
        • Advanced Hydrocarbon Conversion
      • Nuclear Energy
        • Fuel Cycle Research
        • Advanced Reactors
        • Reactor Operations
        • Reactor Licensing
      • Renewable Energy
        • Solar Energy
        • Wind Energy
          • Distributed Wind
          • Wildlife and Wind
          • Wind Data Management
          • Wind Resource Characterization
        • Energy Equity & Health
        • Marine Energy
          • Environmental Monitoring for Marine Energy
          • Marine Biofouling and Corrosion
          • Marine Energy Resource Characterization
          • Testing for Marine Energy
          • The Blue Economy
        • Hydropower
          • Environmental Performance of Hydropower
          • Hydropower Cybersecurity and Digitalization
          • Hydropower and the Electric Grid
          • Materials Science for Hydropower
          • Pumped Storage Hydropower
          • Water + Hydropower Planning
        • Grid Integration of Renewable Energy
        • Geothermal Energy
      • Transportation
        • Bioenergy Technologies
          • Algal Biofuels
          • Aviation Biofuels
          • Waste-to-Energy and Products
        • Hydrogen & Fuel Cells
        • Vehicle Technologies
          • Emission Control
          • Energy-Efficient Mobility Systems
          • Lightweight Materials
          • Vehicle Electrification
          • Vehicle Grid Integration
    • National Security
      • Cybersecurity
        • Discovery and Insight
        • Proactive Defense
        • Trusted Systems
      • Nuclear Material Science
      • Nuclear Nonproliferation
        • Radiological & Nuclear Detection
        • Nuclear Forensics
        • Ultra-Sensitive Nuclear Measurements
        • Nuclear Explosion Monitoring
        • Global Nuclear & Radiological Security
      • Stakeholder Engagement
        • Disaster Recovery
        • Global Collaborations
        • Legislative and Regulatory Analysis
        • Technical Training
      • Systems Integration & Deployment
        • Additive Manufacturing
        • Deployed Technologies
        • Rapid Prototyping
        • Systems Engineering
      • Threat Analysis
        • Advanced Wireless Security
          • 5G Security
          • RF Signal Detection & Exploitation
        • Climate Security
        • Grid Resilience and Decarbonization
        • Internet of Things
        • Maritime Security
      • Chemical & Biothreat Signatures
        • Contraband Detection
        • Pathogen Science & Detection
        • Explosives Detection
        • Threat-Agnostic Biodefense
    • Data Science & Computing
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Graph and Data Analytics
      • Software Engineering
      • Computational Mathematics & Statistics
      • High-Performance Computing
      • Visual Analytics
    • Lab Objectives
    • Publications & Reports
    • Featured Research
  • People
    • Inventors
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Lab Leadership
    • Lab Fellows
    • Staff Accomplishments
  • Partner with PNNL
    • Academia
      • Distinguished Graduate Research Programs
      • Internships
      • Visiting Faculty Program
      • Joint Appointments
      • Joint Institutes
      • Linus Pauling Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship
      • Minority-serving Institutions
    • Community
      • Regional Impact
      • STEM Education
        • Resources
        • Student STEM Ambassadors
        • STEM Ambassadors in the Classroom
      • Philanthropy
      • Volunteering
    • Industry
      • Available Technologies
      • Industry
      • Industry Partnerships
      • Licensing & Technology Transfer
      • Entrepreneurial Leave
  • Facilities & Centers
    • All Facilities
      • Atmospheric Radiation Measurement User Facility
      • Electricity Infrastructure Operations Center
      • Energy Sciences Center
      • Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
      • Grid Storage Launchpad
      • Institute for Integrated Catalysis
      • Interdiction Technology and Integration Laboratory
      • PNNL Seattle Research Center
      • PNNL-Sequim
      • Radiochemical Processing Laboratory
      • Shallow Underground Laboratory

Breadcrumb

  1. Research
  2. Sustainable Energy
  3. Renewable Energy
  4. Marine Energy
  5. Environmental Monitoring for Marine Energy

Environmental Monitoring
for Marine Energy

Assessing the effects
of marine energy

  • Solar Energy
  • Wind Energy
  • Energy Equity & Health
  • Marine Energy
    • Environmental Monitoring for Marine Energy
    • Marine Biofouling and Corrosion
    • Marine Energy Resource Characterization
    • Testing for Marine Energy
    • The Blue Economy
  • Hydropower
  • Grid Integration of Renewable Energy
  • Geothermal Energy
  • News & Updates
  • Attend an Environmental Monitoring for Marine Energy Event
  • Publications
  • Projects
  • Explainer Articles

The energy behind ocean waves and tidal turbines—or marine energy—represents a new renewable resource with vast, untapped potential.

But before industry can move forward, they need to know what kind of environmental impacts could occur. Assessing the environmental effects of marine energy is an important step in the permitting process before deploying devices.

To help reduce potential impacts, researchers are conducting field and laboratory studies at PNNL-Sequim. Scientists are researching the acoustic impacts to fish and marine mammals and the effect of electromagnetic fields from power cables and devices. Studies also investigate the potential for whales and other marine mammals to entangle in mooring lines, and the impact of tidal power turbine blade strike on marine mammals and fish.

Tidal currents create tidal energy, a renewable source of hydropower that converts energy into power using tides. Marine animals use tidal channels to swim, feed, rest, and socialize. Even in the fastest currents, tidal turbines typically move slowly at about 8 rotations per minute.

Reducing environmental impacts

PNNL leads multiple efforts to gather, evaluate, and disseminate information on the environmental effects of marine energy. These efforts include Tethys, OES-Environmental, and the Triton Initiative. 

Tethys is a publicly available online knowledge management system established to improve the exchange of information on environmental effects of marine and wind energy technologies. PNNL  developed Tethys in 2011, to support the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office.

PNNL implemented OES-Environmental (formerly known as Annex IV), to study environmental effects of marine energy development. The International Energy Agency-Ocean Energy Systems established OES-Environmental in 2010, with the United States as the lead agency. DOE leads OES-Environmental with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as federal partners.

PNNL leads WPTO’s Triton, which focuses on reducing environmental impacts of marine energy to marine animals and environments. Triton’s work is done at PNNL-Sequim facilities, using PNNL’s fleet of vessels and scientific dive team to assist instrument developers and researchers with deploying and testing innovative sensors and devices in different marine settings. As a part of Triton, PNNL researchers are examining ways to support commercially available environmental monitoring technologies and to understand the potential risks associated with them.

Through PNNL’s research and innovation, goals to accelerate marine energy technology development can be balanced with protecting the environment.

Water@PNNLsubscribe

Related News

JUNE 7, 2022
Feature

PNNL Makes Waves in New Issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Read
Hydrophone lander on the seafloor with a research diver nearby
JUNE 7, 2022
Feature

Mentoring the Next Generation of Marine Researchers

Read
Marine Sciences Laboratory
MAY 17, 2022
Staff Accomplishment

One Thousand Dives for Sue Southard: Waves of Scientific Insight for Humankind

Read
Sue Southard
SEE MORE RELATED NEWS

Facilities

Aquatics Research Laboratories at PNNL-Sequim Scientific Diving at PNNL-Sequim

Related Divisions

Coastal Sciences Division
Earth Systems Science Division

Research Topics

Sustainable Energy Renewable Energy Coastal Science Earth & Coastal Sciences

Contact

T.J. Heibel
Renewable Power Lead
tj.heibel@pnnl.gov
(202) 422-2316

Related Links

What is Tidal Energy?

PNNL

  • Get in Touch
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Doing Business
    • Environmental Reports
    • Security & Privacy
    • Vulnerability Disclosure Program
  • Research
    • Scientific Discovery
    • Sustainable Energy
    • National Security
Subscribe to PNNL News
Department of Energy Logo Battelle Logo
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is managed and operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn