How Do Floating Wind Turbines Work?
Sea and theSome of the strongest offshore wind power potential in the U.S. is in areas where the water is too deep for fixed turbines, including off the West Coast. (Image: NREL)The U.S. lease areas auctioned off in early December cover about 583 square miles in two regions – one off central California’s Morro Bay and the other near the Oregon state line. The water off California gets deep quickly, so any wind farm that is even a few miles from shore will require floating turbines.Once built, wind farms in those five areas could provide about 4.6 gigawatts of clean electricity, enough
U.S. Proposes New Marine Sanctuary Offshore California
The Biden administration on Tuesday said it was taking steps to designate a national marine sanctuary off the coast of central California. President Joe Biden has set a goal of safeguarding 30% of U.S. land and water over the next decade. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said the proposal would protect a 7,000-square-mile area. The waters are important to the heritage of the Native American Chumash people who once lived in coastal villages that are now submerged. The protected area would be known as the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.They are adjacent
Glosten to Design, Freire Shipyard to Build MBARI's New Research Vessel
has been an integral part of MBARI’s pioneering ocean research and cutting-edge marine instrumentation. The vessel has been instrumental in MBARI’s explorations of Monterey Canyon with the ROV Doc Ricketts, mapping missions at Sur Ridge, long-term research at Station M off the coast of Central California, extended expeditions to the Gulf of California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest. “It’s a tremendous legacy to carry forward,” said Kelly. Operations for the ROV Doc Ricketts will transition from the R/V Western Flyer to the R/V David Packard when the new vessel reaches
Researchers Find Mysterious Seafloor Holes
which they termed micro-depressions. The micro-depressions average just 11 meters (36 feet) across and one meter (three feet) deep. They have steeper sides than the pockmarks and are often elongated in one direction.Map showing the locations of some of the pockmarks and proposed wind-farm areas off Central California. Image: © 2019 MBARISeafloor pockmarks have been found elsewhere around the world, and have been associated with releases of methane gas or other fluids from the seafloor. Such methane releases could potentially cause the seafloor to be unstable, which could pose risks for structures such
Shipping Companies Recognized for Efforts to Save Whales
companies participated in a Voluntary Speed Reduction initiative by slowing their ships to speeds of 10 knots (about 11.5 mph) or lower while transiting vessel traffic lanes outside the Golden Gate during whale feeding season, from May through mid-November.The national marine sanctuaries of North-central California - Greater Farallones, Cordell Bank and Monterey Bay sanctuaries - are prime foraging grounds for several endangered whale species, and through these same waters pass some of the heaviest shipping traffic in the world. In a spirit of “share the road,” the voluntary slowdown initiative
Scientists Map Fast-moving Fault off Alaska
a million annual tourists and the seafloor infrastructure critical for Alaska’s communications and offshore energy industries.With a slip rate of more than 2 inches per year, this fault may be one of the fastest-moving strike-slip faults in the world. (For comparison, the San Andreas fault in central California slips about an inch to an inch-and-a-half each year.) Movement between the tectonic plates at the fault line has generated six earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater within the last century. One of those earthquakes, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake near Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958 triggered a landslide
EnBW, Trident Winds JV for Offshore Wind Project in California
sector. Following its recent entry into Taiwan, EnBW has now expanded its activities to the United States of America by establishing a regional subsidiary, EnBW North America, and forming a joint venture with Trident Winds Inc. to develop an offshore wind project off the coast of in Central California. This represents the EnBW Groups first step toward tapping into the high potential of the American market. Several of the United States have set ambitious goals for the expansion of offshore wind. "EnBW will have a direct presence in this promising market to capture opportunities
New Program Sets Out to Limit Drones’ Impact of Wildlife
colonies." The first two projects underway are a direct outreach campaign and an education partnership. Oceans Unmanned said it is working with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to distribute informational postcards about drone etiquette at coastal access points along the central California coast. In addition, Oceans Unmanned has partnered with DARTdrones, the national leader in drone training and consultation, in development of an ECO-Drone training module to educate drone operators at the beginning of their careers and businesses. “DARTdrones is focused on training
February 2025
