SONAR WATCHING OCEAN ENERGY

Sonar Systems to Support Monitoring of Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Sites; A White Paper
Patrick K. Simpson, February 2011 (SciFish Sonar)

"…Ocean wave and hydrokinetic energy shows great promise and new technologies…make this renewable alternative energy source more efficient and effective at replacing fossil fuels, and keeping the environment clean. More companies are investing…Water that flows carries a great deal of energy, and the tides do not have to be extremely strong for this power to be harnessed and used. Also, the undulations of waves on an ocean surface can yield tremendous energy. Advancements in technology have resulted in many new products and methods being considered and evaluated…

"One drawback to this sector is that the fish and marine wildlife can be disturbed or potentially harmed…constant monitoring of the underwater environment is needed…tidal turbines can kill fish and other species if they get caught up in the equipment, and this can change the underwater ecosystem, so newer methods and equipment are being developed to minimize these impacts and protect the current habitat and marine life…With these new developments comes the need to monitor…[and] confirm these new capabilities…"

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"…[T]here are well over 100 conceptual designs for converting the energy of waves, river and tidal currents, and ocean temperature differences into electricity. Most of these ocean energy and hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies remain at the conceptual stage…there have been few studies of their environmental effects…predictive studies and environmental assessments…have not yet been verified…several common elements among the technologies…may pose a risk…

"…[1] Alteration of current and wave strengths and directions…[2] Alteration of substrates and sediment transport and deposition…[3] Alteration of habitats for benthic organisms…[4] Noise during construction and operation…[5] Generation of electromagnetic fields (EMF)…[6] Toxicity of paints, lubricants, and antifouling coatings…[7] Interference with animal movements and migrations, including entanglement…[8] Strike by rotor blades or other moving parts…"

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"…[T]here are tools available to support the monitoring that would be needed to support the full utilization of our ocean’s renewable resources. In particular, monitoring animal movements and migrations at or near a hydrokinetic site can be accomplished using sonar technology. Sonar can be used to detect, localize, track and report the presence of marine animals including fish, whales, sharks, swimming birds and other marine life. Sonar systems can be deployed in advance of a site installation to collect baseline data for comparison after an installation and sonar systems can be mounted to an existing underwater structure to provide constant monitoring during operations…

"…Hydrokinetic energy offers great promise toward providing a source of renewable energy. As these systems are deployed, they will need to monitor their affect on the environment and the marine life that occupy the same area. SciFish Sonar provides affordable monitoring tools that can assist with these monitoring efforts."