Testing environmental monitoring technology and methods to assess potential impacts of marine energy devices on marine systems
Triton Field Trials (TFiT) has the goal of advancing knowledge around impacts of marine energy devices and improving environmental monitoring procedures and technologies. This task involves identifying the main environmental stressors associated with marine energy devices, exploring cost-effective methods and technologies used to monitor those stressors, and performing field tests on those various instruments at diverse sites. Additionally, the TFiT team is opening the conversation to developers, regulators, and policy makers to understand marine energy industry needs and how to best serve them.
TFiT studies the four main stressors of concern as identified in the 2020 OES-Environmental State of the Science Report, which include:
(Illustration by Stephanie King | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
An initial review was carried out to identify the standard sensors and research methods used by 119 marine energy projects around the world to monitor these four stressors. Subject matter experts were consulted on the effectiveness and feasibility for each method and technology. The approaches and technologies deemed most successful are put to the test at several field sites in diverse conditions along the U.S. West Coast.
The TFiT team has identified sites with diverse physical and biological characteristics representing environments and conditions suitable for wave, tidal, and riverine systems. Testing various environmental monitoring technologies and approaches at these sites will help establish the most effective monitoring practices for different settings and scenarios. The findings from the field trials will inform the development of guidelines for methods and instrumentation to monitoring each of the stressors. The team has gathered feedback from stakeholders to understand the concerns and needs of the industry from an environmental monitoring perspective. This collective effort will help streamline monitoring and support permitting of marine energy deployments.