New Marine Energy Tech Tested at UW Lab

Researchers simulate collisions between turbines and marine wildlife to improve safety.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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At the University of Washington Harris Hydraulics Lab, researchers are testing new technology to detect collisions between underwater turbines and marine wildlife like seabirds, seals, fish, and whales. They are using a small rubber model of a marine animal and passing it through a tank with a spinning turbine to simulate real-world interactions. The goal is to minimize the chances of collisions and be able to detect them in real-time to avoid potential harm to animals.

Why it matters

Marine energy from tides, waves, and currents has huge potential as a clean, renewable power source, but more research is needed on how large-scale installations could impact marine ecosystems. This study is part of the Triton Initiative to better understand the environmental effects of marine energy technology.

The details

Researchers from the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are conducting the collision experiments at the Harris Hydraulics Lab. They use a small rubber model of a marine animal and pass it through a tank with a spinning turbine, recording any impacts detected by sensors on the turbine blades. This allows them to study how often collisions might occur and how severe they could be. A recent study in Sequim Bay using an underwater camera found only 4 small fish collisions out of over 1,000 animal interactions with a prototype turbine.

  • The Sequim Bay study was conducted over 109 days.
  • The Harris Hydraulics Lab experiments are ongoing as part of the Triton Initiative.

The players

Aidan Hunt

A senior research engineer in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington and member of the Pacific Marine Energy Center.

Chris Bassett

A research scientist at the University of Washington Applied Physics Lab and co-author of the Sequim Bay study.

University of Washington

The university hosting the Harris Hydraulics Lab where the collision experiments are taking place.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

The national laboratory collaborating on the Triton Initiative to study the environmental impacts of marine energy.

Triton Initiative

A collection of projects led by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to study the environmental impact of marine energy.

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What they’re saying

“We want to make sure we're minimizing the chances of a collision in the first place. But if a collision were to occur, we want to be able to detect it, and potentially avoid it, in real time.”

— Aidan Hunt, Senior research engineer in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington (Mirage News)

“This study was a first step, but a promising one. We didn't see any endangered species in our study, and the risk of collision for seals and sea birds seemed to be quite low. We're excited to get back out there with the camera and learn even more.”

— Chris Bassett, Research scientist at the University of Washington Applied Physics Lab (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue the collision experiments at the Harris Hydraulics Lab and conduct further studies in Sequim Bay to gather more data on marine animal interactions with underwater turbines.

The takeaway

As marine energy becomes a more viable renewable power source, researchers are taking a proactive approach to understanding and mitigating the potential environmental impacts, particularly on marine wildlife. The collision detection technology being tested could help make large-scale marine energy installations safer for local ecosystems.