Partnership for Tidal Turbine and Mammal Interaction
Ocean Sonics is entering in a partnership installing a tidal power turbine at the Emera-Cape Sharp site on the Bay of Fundy, Canada. The partnership will produce an improved software and user interface that notifies personnel in real-time of the presence of fish and sea mammals, giving stakeholders a better understanding of the interaction between the wildlife and turbines.
Open Hydro’s new generation of turbines will be deployed in Minas Passage later this year on the FORCE site.
Ocean Sonics has been testing its acoustic instruments in the Bay of Fundy for a few years now. The company worked with researchers from Acadia University since early 2012 and will be further developing the relationship with them as this project unfolds. Four icListen Smart Hydrophones will be mounted on the turbine base to detect the presence of sea mammals and fish nearby under a full range of tidal conditions.
International Cooperation
The overall project is directed by Emera Inc., and is expected to run until 2018. Ocean Sonics is joined by Tritech, a UK company whose Gemini Imaging sonar can locate fish. The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), based in the UK with offices in Canada is also involved. Each company contributes to the cost of the project, topped up by funding from OERA (Offshore Energy Research Association) in Nova Scotia and InnovateUK in the UK.