A River In The Sea

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Jimmy Nelson of Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute takes part in testing a prototype high-tech generator that will harness the energy of the Gulf Stream as a renewable source of energy. Photo by Bill Baxley

“This is neat,” says Bill Baxley as he turns his computer monitor to show a visitor to his Florida Atlantic University office a NASA-produced, animated video on the numerous ocean currents of the world. He points out the various swirling patterns and whirls that look like weather patterns but are actually the ever-flowing variety of currents that course through the world’s oceans. 

Baxley, chief engineer with FAU’s Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, is intimately familiar with ocean currents and especially the Gulf Stream, the current that flows northward from the Caribbean islands, hugs the eastern coast of Florida and continues to the mid-Atlantic. His eyes light up as he explains, “All these currents have one thing in common. They never stop flowing; they are in constant motion.” He pauses for a beat then adds, “Imagine if we could harness that energy!” 

That’s exactly what he and others are trying to do. A talented mix of scientists, technicians, entrepreneurs and researchers are working feverishly to develop an ocean current generator to tap into this constant source of power. This high-tech turbine will eventually be anchored just off the coast of southern Florida in the Gulf Stream, to harness energy from this swift-moving current that’s often referred to as “a river in the sea.” 

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