![]() ![]() ![]() Many corals spawn in a limited time frame, so the researchers simulate the circulation around that time of year, then trace how far the larvae can go, where they arrive, and which area they can colonize. “We need to preserve ecosystems that are diverse, but also well connected, so they can transfer that diversity if something happens in another place,” Bracco said.ĭata is limited for some areas, like the Gulf, so Bracco’s group uses ocean computer models and simulates currents and the coral larvae that could spread genetic material through them. Marine protected areas in the Gulf of Mexico could be expanded to deliver more flora and fauna larvae to repopulate stressed or damaged areas. She also determines how they could be used to rejuvenate weakened or destroyed ecosystems. ![]() “If the coral gets bleached and dies, other coral DNA can come in the form of larvae and recolonize the territory.”īracco’s research is about more than just following these currents. This is something that naturally happens and is, in the case of corals, definitely quite beneficial,” Bracco said. “Corals spread through larvae, which are transported by ocean currents. That’s the focus of the research from School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Annalisa Bracco. But how did this shared DNA travel in the first place? Currents connect ecosystems, and understanding their flow could help to rebuild other ecosystems. Species like coral can be similar in entirely different parts of the ocean because those waters share characteristics like salinity, temperature, and nutrients. We've already accomplished a lot in the area of ocean research, and now we're realizing the energy resource in the ocean is actually much bigger than we even thought.” -Kevin Haas Ocean to Ocean: Connecting Ecosystems Using Modeling of Currents “Working in the ocean is much more challenging than terrestrial settings. In an ideal world, there would be measurements at every turbine location, but this is not financially feasible, so the hybrid method deploys one permanent instrument and uses a boat to capture measurements in the area and subsequently predicts tides based on the model. He is also testing a hybrid method that deploys instrumentation to measure tidal currents over a 90-day period. To do these calculations, Haas develops numerical models to simulate the physics of tides. “A big part of my work is creating the modeling to learn what could happen to the Gulf Stream when you start extracting energy from the tides or full ocean currents,” he said. Climate change could affect the Gulf Stream, so Haas must take that into consideration, as well as how energy extraction itself could alter the ocean ecosystem. ![]() Part of Haas’ work is predicting how much reliable energy production can be expected from these sources. Wave energy, by contrast, can either be close to shore for immediate energy or on offshore farms, but this variability means the most effective tool for extraction still hasn’t been proven.Īlthough renewable energy is key in cutting carbon emissions, tides and waves are also affected by climate change. Like wind power, turbines are the best tool to extract energy from tides. Researchers are also experimenting with using smaller devices for more localized power sources, like buoys. For tides, the most effective source is inland, where tidal currents are concentrated, leading to higher velocity flows, like New York’s East River. “We must find the resource, estimate and calculate how much energy we can get from it, locate energy extraction sites, and identify which type of market would be able to use it.”Ĭertain locations are better for energy extraction. “This is an emerging industry - it's basically where the wind industry was about 30 years ago, and we’re trying to develop technologies to capture the energy,” he said. Solar and wind power have been used as renewable energy for years, but what about waves, tides, and currents? Kevin Haas, a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been on the forefront of ocean energy for over a decade. The Tide Is High: Generating Energy From Waves, Tides, and Currents Newswise - From the thousands of feet of frozen glaciers to the rising seas off Savannah’s coast, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are measuring, modeling, and predicting just how climate change is impacting our oceans. ![]()
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