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DOE OSTI2026

The 2025 “Hacking Limnology” Workshop Series and DSOS Virtual Summit: A Half Decade of Data‐Intensive Aquatic Science

The 5th Aquatic Ecosystem MOdeling Network—Junior (AEMON-J) “Hacking Limnology” Workshop and 6th Virtual Summit: Incorporating Data Science and Open Science in the Aquatic Sciences (DSOS) convened 21–25 July 2025. As in previous years (Fig. 1; Meyer and Zwart 2020; Meyer et al. 2021b, 2021c, 2022, 2024), the virtual workshops and summit were free of charge, the content was formatted to allow for broad engagement from a globally distributed audience, and workshop materials and recordings were made available on the AEMON-J/DSOS archive (Meyer et al. 2021a). In contrast to previous years, which primarily focused on inland aquatic ecosystems, this year's workshops and summit showcased a notable plurality of ecosystem types, with workshops spanning marine, riverine, and lacustrine environments. The weeklong event brought together researchers and practitioners interested in the nexus of data science, open science, and the aquatic sciences, hosting between 47 and 65 attendees at a single time and a higher number of registrants (n = 389), who might opt to access the material asynchronously.

Meyer, Michael F. [US Geological Survey, Portland,↗
DOE OSTI2023

Numerical Simulations of Carbon Dioxide Storage Efficiency in Heterogeneous Reservoir Models

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) has been developing methods and tools (the online Carbon Dioxide Storage prospeCtive Resource Estimation Excel aNalysis (CO2-SCREEN) tool) to estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) storage potential in subsurface reservoirs. The CO2 storage efficiency terms are input in the tool to calculate storage potential in targeted reservoirs. In this effort, two CO2 storage efficiency terms were evaluated: volumetric displacement ( E V ) and microscopic displacement ( E d ). The first term deals with efficiency of CO2 propagation into an accessible reservoir volume, while the second term evaluates effectiveness of native fluid displacement with CO2. The interpreted well logs and core sample measurements were applied to create the heterogeneous reservoir models including geostatistical realizations of porosity and intrinsic permeability fields. Supercritical CO2 was injected over the course of 30 years into brine-saturated reservoir models for clastics, limestone, and dolomite lithologies and deltaic fluvial, aeolian, shallow marine, and reef depositional environments by means of varying reservoir parameters and injection scenarios. The reservoir models providing vertically heterogeneous petrophysical properties and designated as “layered reservoir models” (with homogeneous parameters along each layer of the model) were not determined to be a transition between the homogeneous and heterogeneous models in respect to storage efficiency. Another finding shows that high-efficiency factors do not necessarily mean increased CO2 storage; they rather indicate that the available volume and pore space are more fully utilized. The CO2 storage efficiency factors were evaluated dynamically at the select time points using P 10 ‐ P 50 ‐ P 90 percentiles. The results of this study show that the P 10 ‐ P 90 distribution for volumetric efficiency is wider when compared to the microscopic efficiency. It was found that where dominant buoyancy forces drive the plume to the top of a target formation, the volumetric efficiency is low. Tighter sandstone and carbonate formations show prevalence of capillary forces and better utilization of reservoir volume.

Myshakin, Evgeniy M.↗
DOE OSTI2021

SNF Interim Storage Canister Corrosion and Surface Environment Investigations (FY21 Status Report)

This progress report describes work performed during FY21 at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to assess the localized corrosion performance of canister materials used in the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Of particular concern is stress corrosion cracking (SCC), by which a through-wall crack could potentially form in a canister outer wall over time intervals that are shorter than possible dry storage times. In FY21, modeling and experimental work was performed that further defined our understanding of the potential chemical and physical environment present on canister surfaces at both marine and inland sites. Research also evaluated the relationship between the environment and the rate, extent, and morphology of corrosion, as well as the corrosion processes that occur. Finally, crack growth rate testing under relevant environmental conditions was initiated.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 4: Risk to Marine Animals from Underwater Noise Generated by Marine Renewable Energy Devices

In all ocean environments, desirable locations for wave and tidal energy development have multiple natural sources of sound (e.g., waves, wind, and sediment transport), varying levels of anthropogenic and biological noise, and measurement quality challenges (e.g., flow-noise, self-noise). Many marine animals rely on sound for biological functions, including communication, social interaction, orientation, foraging, and evasion. The extent to which marine animals detect and produce sound varies by frequency (spanning roughly four decades from 10 Hz to 100 kHz) and is taxa-specific. Because of the relatively limited data available, hearing sensitivity is often generalized to taxonomic groups (e.g., cetaceans that have low-frequency hearing specialization). https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/state-of-the-science-2020-chapter-4-underwater-noise

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Non-photosynthetic lineages sibling to Cyanobacteria associate with eukaryotes in the open ocean

Margulisbacteria are elusive uncultivated bacteria that have illuminated evolutionary transitions in the progenitor of Cyanobacteria, the latter being a critically important phylum that underpins oxygenic photosynthesis. The non-photosynthetic Margulisbacteria were discovered in a sulfidic spring and later in other habitats. Currently, this candidate phylum partitions into the Riflemargulisbacteria, primarily from sediments and groundwater, the Termititenax from insect gut microbiomes, and the Marinamargulisbacteria, from marine samples. We found that Marinamargulisbacteria amplicons were unusually distributed in size-fractionated samples from the sunlit photic and dark twilight zones of the ocean. Further, sequencing of wild marine protists rendered genomic information for distinct marinamargulisbacterial clades co-associated with uncultivated, non-photosynthetic Stramenopila and Opisthokonta protists. Phylogenomic analyses combining these data and available metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and single-amplified genomes (SAGs) from sorted bacteria revealed new Marinamargulisbacteria lineages. The lineages delineate by their environment, forming clades comprising freshwater, marine pelagic, or sediment/hypoxic taxa. In conclusion, the remarkable diversity of Margulisbacteria indicates success in colonizing various habitats, potentially in a conserved strategy involving eukaryotic cells.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Adaptable Monitoring Package Development and Deployment: Lessons Learned for Integrated Instrumentation at Marine Energy Sites

Integrated instrumentation packages are an attractive option for environmental and ecological monitoring at marine energy sites, as they can support a range of sensors in a form factor compact enough for the operational constraints posed by energetic waves and currents. Here we present details of the architecture and performance for one such system—the Adaptable Monitoring Package—which supports active acoustic, passive acoustic, and optical sensing to quantify the physical environment and animal presence at marine energy sites. we describe cabled and autonomous deployments and contrast the relatively limited system capabilities in an autonomous operating mode with more expansive capabilities, including real-time data processing, afforded by shore power or in situ power harvesting from waves. Across these deployments, we describe sensor performance, outcomes for biological target classification algorithms using data from multibeam sonars and optical cameras, and the effectiveness of measures to limit biofouling and corrosion. On the basis of these experiences, we discuss the demonstrated requirements for integrated instrumentation, possible operational concepts for monitoring the environmental and ecological effects of marine energy converters using such systems, and the engineering trade-offs inherent in their development. Overall, we find that integrated instrumentation can provide powerful capabilities for observing rare events, managing the volume of data collected, and mitigating potential bias to marine animal behavior. These capabilities may be as relevant to the broader oceanographic community as they are to the emerging marine energy sector.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Flow Directions and Ages of Subsurface Water in a Salt Marsh System Constrained by Isotope Tracing

Salt marshes are dynamic hydrologic systems where terrestrial groundwater, terrestrial surface water, and seawater mix due to bi-directional flows and pressure gradients. Due to the counteracting terrestrial and marine forcings that control these environments, we do not comprehensively understand water fluxes in these complex coastal systems. To understand the water sources, flow directions, and velocities in salt marsh porewater, we employed a combination of geochemical tracers and analytical models across a hillslope-to-salt marsh continuum in a salt marsh experiencing daily inundation of estuarine surface water (SW) from tides and mixing of fresh seasonal groundwater. We used tritium ( 3 H) as a hydrologic tracer to assess porewater ages and stable water isotope ($\delta$ 2 H and $\delta$ 18 O) analyses to separate isotopically distinct estuarine and terrestrial groundwater across different depths and landscape positions in the study transect. We employed electrical conductivity to constrain the role of source mixing and evapotranspiration in salt marsh hydrology. Salinity and stable isotopes revealed that transpiration, rather than evaporation, increased subsurface water salinity to concentrations above estuarine SW during summer. Elevated salinity at depth indicated that salt marsh subsurface water is recharged during the dry growing season. Seasonal recharge patterns drive long-term deep subsurface water dynamics across the salt marsh, with 3 H ages of 3–7 years, and daily tidal cycles drive short-term shallow porewater dynamics with 3 H ages of 0 ± 3.6 years. Furthermore, our conceptual understanding of the spatiotemporal changes in SW-subsurface water interactions at the terrestrial-marine interface quantifies the hydrological constraints we are missing to improve our understanding of biogeochemical cycles within the salt marsh.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Viral Ecogenomics of Arctic Cryopeg Brine and Sea Ice

This study explores viral community structure and function in remote and extreme Arctic environments, including subzero brines within marine layers of permafrost and sea ice, using a modern viral ecogenomics toolkit for the first time. In addition to providing foundational data sets for these climate-threatened habitats, we found evidence that the viruses had habitat specificity, infected dominant microbial hosts, encoded host-derived metabolic genes, and mediated horizontal gene transfer among hosts. These results advance our understanding of the virosphere and how viruses influence extreme ecosystems. More broadly, the evidence that virally mediated gene transfers may be limited by host range in these extreme habitats contributes to a mechanistic understanding of genetic exchange among microbes under stressful conditions in other systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Stable water isotopes and tritium data from porewater at Elkhorn Slough

Salt marshes are dynamic hydrologic systems where terrestrial groundwater, terrestrial surface water, and seawater mix due to bi-directional flows and pressure gradients. Due to the counteracting terrestrial and marine forcings that control these environments, we do not comprehensively understand water fluxes in these complex coastal systems. To understand the water sources, flow directions, and velocities in salt marsh porewater, we collected geochemical tracers across a hillslope-to-salt marsh continuum in a salt marsh experiencing daily inundation of estuarine surface water (SW) from tides and mixing of fresh seasonal groundwater. The experimental transect is located at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.Here we present a data table (.csv) with the results of electrical conductivity, stable water isotopes, and tritium in porewater across several elevations in the hillslope-to-salt marsh continuum (information in the data set). We analyzed the stable water isotope samples by cavity ring-down spectroscopy in a Picarro L2130-i at the University of California Santa Cruz (accuracy of 0.025‰ and 0.1‰ for δ18O and δ2H, respectively). We measured the electric conductivity of the samples with an Orion Star™ A329 multiparameter meter (0.5% accuracy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Massachusetts, USA). We analyzed 3H samples at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory by helium-3 accumulation (Clarke et al., 1976; Surano et al., 1992).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Experimental and theoretical determinations of hydrogen isotopic equilibrium in the system CH 4 —H 2 —H 2 O from 3 to 200°C

The stable isotopic composition of methane (CH 4 ) is commonly used to fingerprint natural gas origins. Over the past 50 years, there have been numerous proposals that both microbial and thermogenic CH 4 can form in or later attain hydrogen isotopic equilibrium with water (H 2 O) and carbon isotopic equilibrium with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Evaluation of such proposals requires knowledge of the equilibrium fractionation factors between CH 4 and H 2 O or CO 2 at the temperatures where microbial and thermogenic CH 4 form in or are found in the environment, which is generally less than 200°C. Experimental determinations of these fractionation factors are only available above 200°C, requiring extrapolation of these results beyond the calibrated range or the use of theoretical calculations at lower temperatures. Here, we provide a calibration of the equilibrium hydrogen isotopic fractionation factor for CH 4 and hydrogen gas (H 2 ) ( D α CH4(g)–H2(g) ) based on experiments using γ-Al 2 O 3 and Ni catalysts from 3 to 200°C. Results were regressed as a 2 nd order polynomial of 1000 × ln D α CH4(g)–H2(g) vs. 1/T (K -1 ) yielding: 1000 × l n D α C H 4 ( g ) - H 2 ( g ) = 3.5317 × 10 7 T 2 + 2.7749 × 10 5 T - 179.48 We combine this calibration with previous experimental determinations of hydrogen isotope equilibrium between H 2 , H 2 O(g), and H 2 O(l) and we provide an interpolatable experimental calibration of 1000 × ln D α CH4(g)–H2O(l) from 3 to 200°C. Our resulting 4th order polynomial is the following equation: 1000 × l n D α C H 4 ( g ) - H 2 O l = - 7.9443 × 10 12 T 4 + 8.7772 × 10 10 T 3 - 3.4973 × 10 8 T 2 + 5.4398 × 10 5 T - 382.05 At 3°C, the value from our calibration differs by 93‰ relative to what would be calculated based on the extrapolation of the only experimental calibration currently available to temperatures below its calibrated range (lowest temperature of 200°C; Horibe and Craig, 1995). We additionally provide new theoretical estimates of hydrogen isotopic equilibrium between CH 4 (g), H 2 (g), and H 2 O(g) and carbon isotopic equilibrium between CH 4 (g) and CO 2 (g) using Path Integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) calculations. Our PIMC calculations for hydrogen isotopic equilibrium between CH 4 and H 2 agree 1:1 with our experiments. Finally, we compile carbon and hydrogen isotopic measurements of CH 4 , CO 2 , and H 2 O from various environmental systems and compare observed differences between carbon and hydrogen isotopes to those expected based on isotopic equilibrium. We find that isotopic compositions of some microbial gases from marine sedimentary, coalbed, and shale environments are consistent with those expected for CH 4 H 2 O(l) hydrogen and CH 4 CO 2 carbon isotopic equilibrium. In contrast, microbial terrestrial and pure culture gases are not consistent with both CH 4 H 2 O(l) hydrogen and CH 4 CO 2 carbon isotopic equilibrium. Overall, these results are explained qualitatively using previously developed conceptual models that link free energy gradients available to microorganisms to the degree that their enzymes can promote isotope-exchange reactions between CH 4 , CO 2 , and H 2 O.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Histidine‐Mediated Ion Specific Effects Enable Salt Tolerance of a Pore‐Forming Marine Antimicrobial Peptide

Abstract Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) preferentially permeate prokaryotic membranes via electrostatic binding and membrane remodeling. Such action is drastically suppressed by high salt due to increased electrostatic screening, thus it is puzzling how marine AMPs can possibly work. We examine as a model system, piscidin‐1, a histidine‐rich marine AMP, and show that ion‐histidine interactions play unanticipated roles in membrane remodeling at high salt: Histidines can simultaneously hydrogen‐bond to a phosphate and coordinate with an alkali metal ion to neutralize phosphate charge, thereby facilitating multidentate bonds to lipid headgroups in order to generate saddle‐splay curvature, a prerequisite to pore formation. A comparison among Na + , K + , and Cs + indicates that histidine‐mediated salt tolerance is ion specific. We conclude that histidine plays a unique role in enabling protein/peptide‐membrane interactions that occur in marine or other high‐salt environment.

Xian, Wujing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Iron(II) monosulfide (FeS) minerals reductively transform the insensitive munitions compounds 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO)

As military applications of the insensitive munitions compounds (IMCs) 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO) increase, there is a growing need to understand their environmental fate and to develop remediation strategies to mitigate their impacts. Iron (II) monosulfide (FeS) minerals are abundant in freshwater and marine sediments, marshes, and hydrothermal environments. Here, this study shows that FeS solids can reduce DNAN and NTO to their corresponding amines under anoxic ambient conditions. The reactions between IMCs and the FeS minerals were surface-mediated since they did not occur when only dissolved Fe 2+ (aq) and S 2– (aq) were present. Mackinawite, a tetragonal FeS with a layered structure, reduced DNAN mainly to 2-methoxy-5-nitroaniline (MENA), which in turn was partially reduced to 2-4-diaminoanisole (DAAN). The layered structure of mackinawite provided intercalation sites likely responsible for partial adsorption of MENA and DAAN. Mackinawite entirely reduced NTO to 3-amino-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (ATO). The reduction of IMCs showed concurrent oxidation of mackinawite to goethite and elemental sulfur. A commercial FeS product, composed mainly of pyrrhotite and troilite, reduced DNAN to DAAN and NTO to ATO. At pH 6.5, DNAN and NTO transformation rates were 667 and 912 μmol h –1 m –2 , respectively, on the mackinawite surface and 417 and 1344 μmol h –1 m –2 , respectively, on the commercial FeS surface. This is the first report of the reduction of a nitro-heterocyclic compound (NTO) by FeS minerals. The evidence indicates that DNAN and NTO can be rapidly transformed to their succeeding amines in anoxic subsurface environments and aquatic sediments rich in FeS minerals.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Consolidation and Permeability of the B1 and D1 Gas Hydrate Bearing Sands and Associated Seal Sediments of the Extended-Duration Gas Production Test Site on the Alaska North Slope

Gas hydrate, a solid combination of gas (mostly methane in nature) and water molecules stable at low temperatures and elevated pressures, occurs naturally in marine and permafrost-associated environments. Gas hydrate reservoirs, such as those in the Alaska North Slope, have been considered potential energy resources for gas production. To understand the petrophysical and geo-mechanical characteristics of the reservoir, core samples retrieved from the site of the JOGMEC-DOE-USGS collaborative gas hydrate R&D project have been analyzed in the laboratory for their hydraulic and mechanical properties. This paper focuses on both seal and reservoir samples associated with the B1 and D1 sands, which are evaluated for index properties (including porosity, grain size distribution, liquid and plastic limits, specific surface area, and specific gravity), consolidation, permeability, and water retention. Furthermore, the reservoir core samples were tested with pore-filling, laboratory-grown tetrahydrofuran hydrate, in order to assess reservoir behavior during gas production from hydrates. Under simulated in situ stress conditions, the seal and hydrate-free reservoir cores had a permeability anisotropy ratio of k h /k v = 3.0−5.0, and k h /k v = 2.4−3.0 for the reservoir tetrahydrofuran hydrate-bearing cores. The data suggest that depressurizing the reservoir to induce hydrate dissociation alters the reservoir effective permeability in three ways: permeabilities decrease due to porosity lost (e.g., the initial reservoir thickness can decrease by up to 5% upon 7 MPa depressurization), permeability increases due to the loss of solid hydrate in the pore space, and permeability anisotropy k h /k v decreases in response to the evolving pore-space geometry. We show that given the simulated in situ gas hydrate saturations (i.e., S h = 32% in core 7P-2E and S h = 21% in core 20P-4), gas production from the dissociation of tetrahydrofuran hydrate in the two tested cores results in a net increase in effective permeability and a decrease in k h /k v . This study highlights the importance of investigating seal and reservoir sediments and the impacts of depressurization on the porosity and permeability responses during production.

Geological materials↗
DOE OSTI2023

Bulk Transfer Coefficients Estimated From Eddy-Covariance Measurements Over Lakes and Reservoirs

The drag coefficient, Stanton number and Dalton number are of particular importance for estimating the surface turbulent fluxes of momentum, heat and water vapor using bulk parameterization. Although these bulk transfer coefficients have been extensively studied over the past several decades in marine and large-lake environments, there are no studies analyzing their variability for smaller lakes. Here, we evaluated these coefficients through directly measured surface fluxes using the eddy-covariance technique over more than 30 lakes and reservoirs of different sizes and depths. Our analysis showed that the transfer coefficients (adjusted to neutral atmospheric stability) were generally within the range reported in previous studies for large lakes and oceans. All transfer coefficients exhibit a substantial increase at low wind speeds (<3 m s -1 ), which was found to be associated with the presence of gusts and capillary waves (except Dalton number). Stanton number was found to be on average a factor of 1.3 higher than Dalton number, likely affecting the Bowen ratio method. At high wind speeds, the transfer coefficients remained relatively constant at values of 1.6·10 -3 , 1.4·10 -3 , 1.0·10 -3 , respectively. We found that the variability of the transfer coefficients among the lakes could be associated with lake surface area. In flux parameterizations at lake surfaces, it is recommended to consider variations in the drag coefficient and Stanton number due to wind gustiness and capillary wave roughness while Dalton number could be considered as constant at all wind speeds.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Influence of biogenic emissions from boreal forests on aerosol–cloud interactions

Boreal forest acts as a carbon sink and contributes to the formation of secondary organic aerosols via emission of aerosol precursor compounds. However, these influences on the climate system are poorly quantified. Here we show direct observational evidence that aerosol emissions from the boreal forest biosphere influence warm cloud microphysics and cloud-aerosol interactions in a scale-dependent and highly dynamic manner. Analyses of in situ and ground-based remote-sensing observations from the SMEAR II station in Finland, conducted over eight months in 2014, reveal substantial increases in aerosol load over the forest one to three days after aerosol-poor marine air enters the forest environment. We find that these changes are consistent with secondary organic aerosol formation and, together with water-vapour emissions from evapotranspiration, are associated with changes in the radiative properties of warm, low-level clouds. Here, the feedbacks between boreal forest emissions and aerosol-cloud interactions and the highly dynamic nature of these interactions in air transported over the forest over timescales of several days suggest boreal forests have the potential to mitigate climate change on a continental scale. Our findings suggest that even small changes in aerosol precursor emissions, whether due to changing climatic or anthropogenic factors, may substantially modify the radiative properties of clouds in moderately polluted environments. Emissions from the boreal forest biosphere can substantially increase aerosol load above the forest and influence the radiative properties of clouds, according to analysis of observations from a monitoring station in Finland.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

2024 OES-Environmental 2024 State of the Science Report, Chapter 6: Strategies to Aid Consenting Processes for Marine Renewable Energy

While the marine renewable energy (MRE) industry has made positive strides in the past decade, challenges remain that stall forward progress, scaling up, and commercialization. For MRE to provide a viable solution to address the effects of climate change and achieve sustainable development and renewable energy goals, identifying and understanding barriers and opportunities to deployment is key. Barriers to date have included long consenting timelines, costly in-depth baseline data collection and monitoring requirements, and hesitancy in some countries to approve device and array deployments (Copping & Hemery 2020; Kramer et al. 2020). Some of the key drivers behind these barriers are 1) uncertainty about potential effects of MRE on marine animals, habitats, and the environment; 2) lack of familiarity with MRE technologies; or 3) challenges accessing available scientific information (Copping et al. 2020a).

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

What’s in My Toolkit? A Review of Technologies for Assessing Changes in Habitats Caused by Marine Energy Development

Marine energy devices are installed in highly dynamic environments and have the potential to affect the benthic and pelagic habitats around them. Regulatory bodies often require baseline characterization and/or post-installation monitoring to determine whether changes in these habitats are being observed. However, a great diversity of technologies is available for surveying and sampling marine habitats, and selecting the most suitable instrument to identify and measure changes in habitats at marine energy sites can become a daunting task. We conducted a thorough review of journal articles, survey reports, and grey literature to extract information about the technologies used, the data collection and processing methods, and the performance and effectiveness of these instruments. We examined documents related to marine energy development, offshore wind farms, oil and gas offshore sites, and other marine industries around the world over the last 20 years. A total of 120 different technologies were identified across six main habitat categories: seafloor, sediment, infauna, epifauna, pelagic, and biofouling. The technologies were organized into 12 broad technology classes: acoustic, corer, dredge, grab, hook and line, net and trawl, plate, remote sensing, scrape samples, trap, visual, and others. Visual was the most common and the most diverse technology class, with applications across all six habitat categories. Technologies and sampling methods that are designed for working efficiently in energetic environments have greater success at marine energy sites. In addition, sampling designs and statistical analyses should be carefully thought through to identify differences in faunal assemblages and spatiotemporal changes in habitats.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Triton Field Trials - Changes in Habitats, a Literature Review of Monitoring Technologies

Marine energy devices are installed in highly dynamic environments and have the potential to affect benthic and pelagic habitats around them. Regulatory bodies often require baseline characterization and/or post-installation monitoring to determine whether changes in these habitats are being observed. However, a great diversity of technologies is available for surveying and sampling marine habitats. Selecting the most suitable instrument to identify and measure changes in habitats at marine energy sites can become a daunting task. We conducted a thorough review of journal articles, survey reports, and grey literature to extract information about the technologies used, the data collection and processing methods, and the performance and effectiveness of these instruments. We examined documents related to marine energy development, offshore wind farms, oil and gas offshore sites, and other marine industries around the world over the last 20 years, as well as national and international guidelines for surveying habitats around offshore activities. A total of 120 different technologies were identified across six main habitat categories: seafloor, sediment, infauna, epifauna, pelagic, and biofouling. The technologies were organized into 12 broad technology classes: acoustic, corer, dredge, grab, hook and line, net and trawl, plate, remote sensing, scrape samples, trap, visual, and others. Visual was the most common and the most diverse technology class, with applications across all six habitat categories. Sampling designs varied considerably among the reviewed studies but transect was the predominant design for surveying seafloor, epifauna, and pelagic habitats. The most common data analyses were univariate and multivariate statistical analyses aimed at calculating and comparing biodiversity indices, characterizing faunal assemblages or sediment classes, or modeling the distribution of animals related to abiotic parameters. Technologies and sampling methods adaptable and designed to work efficiently in energetic environments have greater success at marine energy sites. In addition, sampling designs and statistical analyses should be carefully thought through to identify differences in faunal assemblages and spatiotemporal changes in habitats.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗