Corbett's Corner
Although the Fall semester is well underway, our goal is to provide you an update on some of the exciting activities across Integrated Coastal Programs over the last several months…thus, we are happy to present the Summer 2022 issue of CoastLines!
Reflecting on the last several months, I was surprised by the number of on- and off-camera interviews I was asked to give related to the changes taking place across the Outer Banks. Anybody who knows me isn’t surprised that I don’t pass up a chance to talk about coastal change, particularly if there is a camera involved! Many of these interviews centered on several oceanfront homes that succumbed to the power of the sea…one home was caught on video that went viral. I am always careful when being interviewed, wanting to best represent our organization and the science. It can be challenging when asked questions like, “Why is this happening now?”; “What has changed across the Outer Banks to lose so many houses to the ocean?”; “What will the Outer Banks look like in 50 years?”; and, most often asked, “Why did these homeowners build in such a vulnerable spot?”
For many scientists, it is easy to simply provide the data, facts, and statistics…after all, we are experts in our field and know the data better than most. However, this approach to communication is rarely effective, particularly when a 20+ minute interview will likely be distilled down to a few lines and possibly a quote! So, how we communicate our science is increasingly critical to what we do and, in the end, can help better inform our communities.
I think it is also important to recognize that there are many ways to communicate our science or, maybe better stated, that science is better communicated to different people in different ways…some are visual learners, others are auditory or kinesthetic (learn by doing). ICP is considering all these opportunities to engage you and the public, hoping to introduce you to all the great science being conducted.
One example is a new partnership that creates a bridge across art and science. M. Gabe Duggan (Assistant Professor, ECU School of Art & Design) was a 2022 ICP Coastal Fellows recipient. The funded project, WAS HERE, teamed Duggan with ICP scientist Dr. David Lagomasino, who uses satellite, airborne, drone, and ground measurements to identify areas of coastal resilience and vulnerability and to consider sea level rise and a changing coastline. The culmination of this partnership is an installation in the “backyard” of the Research and Education Building on the Outer Banks Campus (pictured above and in feature photo). More information on this exciting venture and how you can participate can be found deeper in this newsletter…so keep reading! This partnership is just one example of how science can be communicated more wholistically to reach a broader audience.
Scientists are passionate about their work…the boundaries between art and science can sometimes blur when trying to explain their background or current project. Speaking for myself, I regularly grab a sheet of paper and begin to draw to better explain the subject at hand…most of my scribbling- I won’t suggest it's art- ends up in the bin, but I do see it now as a way of communicating my science. And, well, art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder!
However, there are others that pour their hearts into the expression of their work! This became clear to me just as I was completing this introduction to our newsletter…the timing is amazing. I had already penned most of what you read- the idea of science communication and the blurry lines between art and science- when I had a meeting with Joel Sjostrom and his wife, Sherry. Joel is the father of Anja Sjostrom, a Ph.D. student in the Integrated Coastal Studies program who was taken too soon from our coastal family. Joel handed me a poem called “World Oceans' Day”, dated June 11, 2021…this is Anja’s art, expressing a scientist's passion for something she loved! I encourage you to read her poem at the end of this newsletter. It is a wonderful way to remember Anja, just as ECU places a memorial brick at the Cupola in her memory. Anja provides a wonderful example of the blurred lines between art and science.
Let’s follow Anja’s lead…continue to communicate in all forms, allow our science to be heard by anyone willing to listen, look and learn. I hope we have the opportunity to see each of you soon, engage with you about our work, and work with you on our engagement!
Reide Corbett
Student Section
Summer Camp Recap
The ECU Outer Banks Campus was a little bit louder this summer while camps were in session, and the hallways were often filled with bursts of laughter and incessant whispering.
The 2022 summer camp season saw a total of 81 individuals come through our doors, and many of those campers participated in two or more sessions. Over eight weeks, four different STEAM-focused themes were offered, giving students plenty to choose from when registering earlier this spring.
“There was so much variety offered through camp this summer,” said instructor Lauren Kerlin. “It was inspiring each week to welcome learners of different ages, interests, and levels of expertise on Monday and then send them off for the last time on Friday with plenty of new knowledge, experience, and stories of their time at CSI.”
Coastal Kingdoms focused on marine biology and ecology and highlighted the highly complex balance of coastal habitats all around the Outer Banks. Campers learned about plankton and the intricacy of food webs; listened as local scientists and ecosystem experts shared of their own experiences and careers; enjoyed time in the Croatan Sound; and explored Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge’s paddling loop and wildlife trail.
Legends of the Atlantic was the camp for the curious explorer. Campers in this session started off the week by learning “the basics”- what it means to be a maritime archeologist on land and in the water; boat building history in northeastern North Carolina; causes of shipwrecks and why they are so important to preserve. In the process, campers built their own model boats to race, tried on dive gear, mapped a one-tenth scale wreck on land, and even took a video call from a NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary maritime archaeologist.
For those who were more artistically inclined, Shapes in Science proved to be so fun and engaging, allowing campers to experience coastal and marine science in a new way. Each morning, campers learned about an ongoing science-related effort happening on campus. Then, in the afternoon, the campers completed an art project that corresponded to the morning’s featured topic. They sculpted waves, traversed local ecosystems to find the perfect nature photo-op, identified and pressed plants for a mosaic, created nature-inspired choreography, and more! After a full week of art and science, the campers ended their week by hosting a gallery for their friends, family, and CSI faculty and staff.
Last but certainly not least, Sustainable Seas was a big hit for those interested in both sustainable livelihoods at the coast and discovering what lies beneath the sea surface. Each day began with the exploration of a basic science concept or research technique followed by the introduction of an advanced technology that makes a scientific job easier and often more fascinating. This session was especially designed with budding coastal engineers in mind, and it featured activities such as collecting data for monitoring shorelines, modeling electric micro-grids, and designing and testing wind turbines and wave energy converters.
All summer and even after camp ended, reviews of the season were positive. As one grandparent wrote, “[The girls] are still talking about CSI camp! They had an amazing experience and learned a variety of skills while having fun…. They are already asking me about next year.”
As for Summer 2023, the planning of themes and dates has only just begun, but after a few weeks' rest, the CSI Education and Outreach team is already excited to dig in again. Those interested in attending camp next year should stay tuned for details, but in the meantime, mark their calendars for the opening of registration on March 1, 2023.
A Summer to Remember
REU Students Thrive at the Coast
The ocean was warm, and the sun was out, but that did not mean undergraduate research stopped during the summer on the ECU Outer Banks campus. This season, a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) cohort traveled to Roanoke Island from all over the United States and Puerto Rico to conduct research at the Coastal Studies Institute. Each of the undergraduates came from diverse academic backgrounds ranging from environmental science to math to geology to social science. Every student arrived on the Outer Banks with a unique set of skills, but they all had one goal in common – to help communities better adapt to coastal change.
The Resilience and Adaptation to Coastal Change Across Communities (C2C) REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation and focused on increasing the resilience of coastal regions. The program is unique in its coastal emphasis, interdisciplinary approach, and team focus. With faculty mentors coming from three different institutions, including East Carolina University, Clemson University, and the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, students are uniquely paired with a mentor who shares their research interests and can guide them in their respective fields. Because the REU program takes place on the ECU Outer Banks Campus at the Coastal Studies Institute, students are not only situated in an ideal place to conduct research but also within a community that is being directly affected by changing coastlines.
Yamilet Feliciano-Gonzalez, a student in this year’s cohort, noted that “The work environment and support system that this REU brings [one] is perfect for the students that are starting in their research area.” In addition to their independent research with faculty members, students also participated in weekly cohort check-ins, professional development seminars, presentations from the interdisciplinary team of researchers, and field trips within the community.
Students had the unique ability to work with their mentors in a variety of capacities during the program. Being able to collaborate online provided flexibility to work with mentors in other areas of the U.S., but many students also enjoyed the opportunities to get out in the field for hands-on research experience.
Sawyer Gouldman (pictured above) worked with Dr. Mike Muglia’s lab and learned how to make ocean observations applicable to the development of ocean renewable energy solutions. “This experience has been very beneficial,” Gouldman shared. “It has taught me how to work on a research team, as well as challenge and motivate myself independently.” In addition to obtaining technical skills such as coding in Python, Gouldman traveled offshore with Muglia on the CSI research vessel, Miss Caroline. Gouldman concluded that based on data he processed from the CDIP 430 buoy off the coast of the Outer Banks, the summer is a more viable testing season for renewable energy devices.
While each student developed their own individual research projects, they also worked with other members of their cohort on a project designed to further expose students to an interdisciplinary environment. At the end of the program, in addition to creating posters based on their own research, students shared videos they produced in teams that were intended to educate the public on different problems that face our coastal communities.
“It’s been really incredible to watch students from all different parts of the country with various backgrounds come together with the shared goal of growing as researchers,” Alex Nolte, the program coordinator for the C2C REU, noted. “Working with these students has been an absolute joy and I have no doubt that they will carry these experiences with them far beyond their undergraduate career.”
Diandre’ Richie, who worked with Dr. Jim Morley at ECU to measure artificial fish habitat enhancement on oyster sanctuaries in the Pamlico Sound using acoustic imagining shared that some of his favorite activities during the REU included “the group kayaking trip, going out on the boat into the field, and how quickly [the students] bonded as a cohort.”
The team atmosphere is one of the program’s aspects that allowed students to grow as researchers and also make memories that will last a lifetime.
Madeline Kronebusch who worked with Dr. David Lagomasiono to measure mangrove resistance and resilience in the Philippines following super typhoon Odette highlighted the C2C REU as an “exceptional experience”, while Isaac Ramos, who worked alongside Dr. Angel Acosta Colon (University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo) using airborne lidar to compare coastal processes in high and low energy systems in Puerto Rico, shared that this REU has given him "the valuable experience of expanding [his] horizons and learning to see things from different perspectives.”
The C2C REU is important because it aligns with the goals of the National Science Foundation to promote diversity and research opportunities for students that wouldn’t normally have the ability to do so at their home institutions. At ECU and CSI, faculty, staff, and coordinators always hope that students set sail for new horizons. After a summer full of exploration, friendship, and research, it is safe to say this group of students is on course to expand solutions to the problems faced in coastal communities.
For more on the C2C REU program and 2022 cohort, please view the video below.
Outer Banks Field Site Students Dip Their Toes in at CSI and Buxton Woods
The Coastal Studies Institute houses thriving projects, inspiring researchers, and, this fall, a group of eleven UNC-Chapel Hill students embarking on a semester “abroad” in Manteo. Running from August to December, the Outer Banks Field Site (OBXFS) program, hurls students into buggy fieldwork, research writing, part-time internships, and a full class load.
Continuing the capstone research completed by the 2021 OBXFS students, the 2022 field site group will collect both qualitative and quantitative data from the Buxton Woods Reserve. The cohort will document the maritime forest’s unique features by sampling flora species from ten vegetation plots and interviewing Buxton locals to accumulate the locals' relationships with the Reserve.
The idea for the Buxton Woods Capstone project sprung from the brains of OBXFS directors Lindsay Dubbs and Linda D’Anna.
“Barrier islands often are referred to as being really fragile,” D’Anna said. “But we wanted to look at that idea and ask, ‘Are they really fragile? Or are they just dynamic?’”
The team will use three separate sampling days throughout the semester to collect data from the heart of the Reserve. Furthering the project from the 2021 research may offer predictions as to how maritime forests, like the Reserve, will fare as communities face increasing coastal hazards in a changing climate.
Kayla Emerson, a student in the program, chose the OBXFS for its emphasis on her academic focus in hydrology and for the chance to muck around swamps and wetlands in the name of science.
“I’m interested to see how we’ll process all that data and how the writing process will go for the Capstone because it’s going to go by really fast,” Emerson remarked. That said, she is confident they can keep up with the workload.
While the group’s academic interests closely align, their interests outside of environmental studies vary widely. Their differing personalities bring essential perspectives to the Capstone research practices.
Some students, like senior Anna Smith, chose the program because of the close-quartered differences.
“You get exposed to a lot at once; you’re much more hands on; and you’re meeting people at a deeper level than you normally would,” Smith said.
The cohort quickly meshed, which could have been a coincidence, or maybe it was because they hit the ground running with a two-week orientation period. In the wake of their arrival on August 15, the group has since explored the ins and outs of the Outer Banks, taken hydrology lectures on Pea Island and boat tours around Roanoke Island, and oriented themselves with their Buxton field site.
The sampling site is just a stone's throw away from the Cape Hatteras lighthouse which draws many people to the area year around. With so much activity nearby, there is potential for the Buxton vegetation data to also be used for future educational purposes on the trails and outside the woods.
“[This year] offers a different picture, or a different set of analyses, that they will get to present in a report and presentation,” D’Anna said. “Students will pull together some ideas about how we might start thinking about waypoints or trail markers.”
The Capstone is, after all, a teaching research project. Any deliverable past data collection is ambitious but also ideal.
Article and corresponding photos by Emmy Trivette, an OBXFS junior and CSI journalism intern.
Research Focus
Did you hear that?
ECU Acoustics and Vibrations Lab makes waves on the Outer Banks.
Can an observer on the coast hear a vessel approaching even when it cannot be seen? One might assume the answer is yes, especially as the vessel approaches, but an ongoing study, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), conducted by Dr. Teresa Ryan and the Acoustics and Vibrations Lab, in conjunction with engineers at Catholic University, suggests that the simple answer may be “It depends.”
While Ryan’s research has been funded by ONR since the mid-2010s, this summer she and fellow Engineering faculty Jeff Foeller led a summer session in which eight ECU undergraduates learned about acoustics and sound vibrations through the planning and implementation of field testing at the ECU Outer Banks Campus.
Using a system of tall masts, microphones, speakers, acoustic receivers, special computer programs, and meteorological tools, Ryan’s students and colleagues tested how sound traveled and was received over varying distances and in different environmental conditions. So far, their research has shown that wind speed and direction, atmospheric conditions, sea state, temperature, and even shoreline characteristics can affect how sound is perceived by a listener.
So why does this matter? According to Ryan, the Navy is interested in something known as a “shadow zone” in the world of acoustics. Simply put, the shadow zone refers to an area within a sound scape where conditions align to allow a noise source not to be heard. Varying distances and environmental conditions may change where the shadow zone occurs, so the data collected by the Acoustics and Vibrations Lab helps Ryan’s colleagues at Catholic University to improve their acoustic models which lay groundwork for further exploration and tool development by the Navy.
The basic research provided by the Acoustics and Vibrations Lab at ECU and those at Catholic University may someday allow the Navy to utilize these findings to predict conditions suitable for a successful, undetected shoreline approach. On the other hand, the Navy may use this research to further improve its own homeland security measures.
This summer marked a new phase in Ryan’s research for ONR. It was the season in which she could begin environmental testing, and she also led her first summer session at the Coastal Studies Institute for six weeks. The enrolled students came from many different engineering backgrounds, and they learned how to set up the experiment, problem-solve on the spot, collect data, and even begin to process it.
In Ryan’s opinion, this summer’s course was a great success. In addition to gaining experience in the acoustics realm of engineering, the students also gained valuable communication skills and professional development.
Erica Stark, an environmental engineering student, echoed this sentiment. “I would pair sound research aspects more closely with mechanical engineering,” said Stark, “but a lot of engineering work overlaps with different concentrations. Some of the most valuable lessons I took with me after this summer were critical planning aspects and the set-up and break-down processes. I had never experienced any of that hands-on field work before.”
Learning how to “in-place engineer” and problem solve on the spot were other valuable lessons Stark recalled.
Alex Ferro, an electrical engineering student in his junior year at ECU, signed up for the Acoustics and Vibrations Lab summer session looking to “broaden his horizons and try something new and different”, and he was not disappointed. He noted that while on campus, he and his peers all took turns learning about and being responsible for different facets of the project.
“All members of the class rotated between the sound source and the receiving end of things, which gave us a more holistic understanding of the project,” elaborated Stark. She continued to explain that by collecting the data and starting to interpret and process it, the group of students was better able to understand the choices made for each test set-up including the tones of the sounds produced and the distances between sound producers and receivers.
Aside from their research, Ferro, Stark, and the other Acoustics and Vibrations Lab students were exposed to other areas and topics of research at CSI. Ferro was thrilled to “see people thriving in the work environment and working together for their research projects.” During their on the Outer Banks, the students also crossed paths with others on campus for the summer, including those participating in the REU program at CSI.
Ryan is already looking ahead and hopes that her next cohort of students will be able to use the data collected this summer and in the coming months for their own smaller research projects. Until then, she and her colleagues will continue to run field tests and fine-tune the models made at Catholic University for ONR.
Faculty Highlight
Welcome, Stu Hamilton!
Integrated Coastal Programs recently welcomed Dr. Stu Hamilton as the new chair of the Department of Coastal Studies. Hamilton was born and raised in Crosby, England; attended Canterbury University, SUNY Buffalo, and the University of Southern Mississippi; and joins ICP most recently from Salisbury University in Maryland. He will split his time between Greenville and the ECU Outer Banks Campus.
So far, Hamilton’s work as a remote sensor and geographic information systems specialist have led him to focus on research in Uganda, Ecuador, and Brazil. While his work there will continue, the ECU Outer Banks Campus and coastal North Carolina offer him an additional place to pursue his interests in nearshore environments, estuarine processes, and hurricane impacts on the coastal systems.
In addition to maintaining his lofty research agenda, Hamilton says he aims to “build a nationally recognized coastal research program that attracts the best students and brightest faculty to coastal North Carolina.”
With the combination of ECU faculty across many disciplines, the research facilities on the Outer Banks Campus, and the Integrated Coastal Sciences Ph.D. program, Hamilton believes ECU and CSI promise to be national leaders in the coastal sciences.
After seeking to join the Pirate Nation for many years, Hamilton is delighted to begin this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” As he soaks up this dream opportunity, he says he also looks forward to cycling the Outer Banks and camping along the barrier islands in his down time.
North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program News
Waves to Water Prize and HERO WEC
A Successful Deployment
Last April, the Coastal Studies Institute hosted the Waves to Water Prize DRINK finale at Jennette’s Pier. The contest, funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and administered by the National Renewable Ocean Energy Lab (NREL), began in 2019 and challenged competitors to design, refine, and build wave-powered desalination systems for the purpose of producing clean drinking water for remote communities and/ or disaster relief scenarios. A combined $3.3 million was awarded throughout the five phases of the prize competition.
By the time the DRINK Finale began, only four of the approximately sixty teams that entered from all over the United States remained. All four of their devices were successfully and safely deployed at Jennette’s Pier on the Outer Banks. Within hours of being in the ocean, each device produced desalinated water. The four systems installed at the pier were some of the first wave-powered desalination devices to be deployed. Since marine renewable energy is in its infancy relative to other forms of renewable energy like wind and solar, there is still much to be learned during the research and development stages, especially when it comes to deploying renewable energy technologies in the ocean. Deployment expertise at the CSI-led North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program is part of what led the Department of Energy to choose the Coastal Studies Institute as the DRINK Finale host.
“The Coastal Studies Institute has a breadth of experience deploying technologies in the ocean and recovering those systems, really understanding how to develop systems that can survive the harsh conditions of the ocean,” said Scott Jenne, a research engineer at NREL and principal investigator of the competition, in a previous interview.
Plot Twist
As any resident of the Outer Banks likely knows, the weather conditions in coastal North Carolina are constantly changing and are often unpredictable. The first night following the device deployments was no exception. The wind speed at Jennette’s Pier exceeded 30 knots and created a chaotic sea state. As a result, all four devices broke free from their anchor sites during the night. All were located, and two of the devices were recovered from land while the others had to be retrieved from the water when conditions allowed.
Throughout the competition, those involved knew that working in extreme environments could be a very rewarding process, but that working on and in the water, especially the ocean, did not go without challenge. The unpredictability of nature was always a factor, and safety was always the highest priority for all agencies involved in the Waves to Water Prize.
Winners Announced
While the devices were too damaged for immediate redeployment and were not in the water for as long as originally intended, the results from testing the devices while they were in the ocean environment were still helpful to DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), NREL, and CSI in identifying future research opportunities for marine renewable energy.
After assessing the metrics that could still be judged for the competition, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the winners of the Waves to Water Prize.
The Oneka Snowflake won the $500,000 grand prize, and the team received an additional $125,000 for producing the most water with their device.
$125,000 was awarded to Team WATER BROS, whose members hail from UNC-Charlotte, for delivering the lightest device.
$125,000 was disbursed among the four teams for Simplest Assembly. The amount awarded to each team, based on the time taken to assemble their devices, was:
- Oneka: $80,000
- Mark Zero Prototypes, LLC: $20,000
- WATER BROS: $17,000
- Project 816: $9,000
Finally, $125,000 was also distributed among the teams based on the ease of deployment and retrieval for each device. The awards were as follows:
- Mark Zero Prototypes LLC: $38,000
- WATER BROS: $36,000
- Project 816: $26,000
- Oneka: $24,000
Since the teams were unable to test their devices for the full five-day window due to the complications from foul weather, each team, with the help of the prize agencies, has future plans individually test their own device again in North Carolina.
A New HERO WEC Emerges
To both plan prize logistics and further expand research and development of marine renewable energy devices, engineers at NREL created their own wave energy converter in 2021. Formally known as the Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter, or HERO WEC for short, the NREL device was first deployed and recovered during a one-day practice test prior to the Waves to Water competition,
After fully recovering from the whirlwind competition in April, the NREL team returned to the Outer Banks in August to test their device once again at Jennette’s Pier, this time for ten full days. Staff from the Coastal Studies Institute and Jennette’s Pier assisted NREL with the deployment and retrieval.
The HERO WEC can use wave energy to either power an electric generator or a high-pressure pump, and during this second deployment, the CSI and NREL teams were able to test both modules. When the generator was in use, it produced electricity that was used to power a pump to produce fresh water with a reverse osmosis (RO) system. On the other hand, when the pump is on, it pushed pressurized water directly through the RO system. Both modules were tested successfully during the deployment- first the generator then the pump.
“The HERO WEC deployment was truly a learning and team-building experience for all of us. NREL learned how the WEC’s power generation system could be improved and the teams considered design changes to make the WEC materials and design more robust. Strengthening the relationships and understanding between both teams and learning from an ocean deployment was truly a unique experience, one that can’t be had from a wave tank,” shared CSI’s Dr. Mike Muglia.
The HERO WEC was designed for a short-term test to meet funding and timing challenges; however, the ten-day test was so successful that both teams intend to use the lessons learned to optimize the WEC for a longer test in harsher conditions at Jennette’s in the future.
Notes From Atlantic Marine Energy Center Universe
Last year the Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) was established, and ever since, AMEC leadership has been hard at work to get this newly made consortium up and running.
AMEC is led by the University of New Hampshire and is a consortium of academic institutions including the Coastal Studies Institute, Stony Brook University, and Lehigh University. The center focuses on research and development to address ongoing needs for sustainable renewable ocean energy. It is one of only four National Marine Renewable Energy Centers in the country.
Most recently, AMEC was well represented at Ocean Energy Week 2022 in Portland, Oregon. AMEC leadership held a Directors' Meeting while there; and they, along with other AMEC researchers, also had the opportunity to collaborate with leaders from the Department of Energy, other national labs, academia, and the industry. Finally, students from AMEC university partners presented their work and findings at the inaugural University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC) symposium.
Speaking of community, Drs. Lindsay Dubbs and Linda D'Anna continue to lead research efforts related to blue economy stakeholders. Dubbs and D'Anna are currently conducting an outreach and engagement project which asks members of the public where they see themselves in the AMEC Universe. While some may think there is no way could be involved with marine renewable energy development, chances are they are pieces of a giant, interdisciplinary puzzle.
Though AMEC may be in its infancy, much has already been accomplished in its first year. The leadership team is excited to keep moving forward and sharing the progress toward a more sustainable future for all.
As ETIPP Welcomes Cohort Two, CSI team visits Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña.
This spring, the Department of Energy (DOE)- funded Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Program (ETIPP), created to assist remote, island, or islanded communities in transforming their energy systems and increasing their energy resilience through strategic planning and specific solutions, welcomed a second cohort of communities to their technical assistance program.
Among the twelve communities selected, the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña (Hydroelectric Cooperative of the Mountain)’s Microrred de la Montaña (Microgrid of the Mountain) was assigned to the Southeast Regional technical team which is comprised of members from the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), Idaho National Lab (INL), and the Coastal Studies Institute.
With the help of the full ETIPP team, the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña hopes to determine specifications, designs, and pricing for the implementation of the Microrred de la Montaña, the first intermunicipal microgrid created in Puerto Rico. If established, the new microgrid would have the ability to distribute power from renewable energy sources between the municipalities of Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares, and Utuado, thereby improving the energy resilience of the residents in these communities and decreasing their energy costs.
The implementation of the Microrred de la Montaña would allow the four communities to operate independently of the main power grid in Puerto Rico when necessary. The main power grid connects most areas of Puerto Rico within one system, meaning that when one portion of it needs maintenance or is adversely impacted, all areas could be affected. However, with the microgrid in place, Adjuntas, Jayuya, Lares, and Utuado would have access to electricity even when it is unavailable from the main grid. Powered by renewable energy sources, the microgrid could serve as a model for other remote, island, and islanded communities to be more energy resilient in the face of increasing coastal hazards, including storms like Hurricane Fiona which recently led to an island-wide power outage.
In June, the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) Director George Bonner and Drs. Linda D'Anna (CSI) and Robert Cox (UNC-Charlotte), along with others from the ETIPP technical team, had the opportunity to visit the four Puerto Rican communities and meet with folks from the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña.
D’Anna and Cox were eager to make the trip and begin their work of supporting these vulnerable communities and their efforts to build a more resilient and sustainable grid; and for Bonner, the opportunity to assist in Puerto Rico strikes a particular chord.
“During my previous career in the U.S. Coast Guard, I was stationed in Puerto Rico as an engineer during major hurricanes resulting in major utility disruptions. I feel blessed to be able to return to Puerto Rico for this project and work with the Cooperativa Hidroeléctrica de la Montaña. I’m excited about the collaboration across communities and government stakeholders to integrate new technologies for a more secure, safe, affordable, and reliable energy future,” he shared.
While the technical team may have their work cut out for them as they determine the best path forward, all are looking forward to yet another chance to make communities in the United States a more sustainable and energy-resilient place to live.
Community Calendar
Science on the Sound
'WAS HERE' Artist Talk & Public Deinstallation: October 7, 5 PM- 6PM
The First Ever CSI BioBlitz: October 22, 11 AM- 1 PM
2023 Spring Open House
World Oceans' Day
A Poem by Anja Sjostrom
Let me tell you about my first love.
Whole flesh wanders, incongruous, through
Beads of eroding time
Delicately ucus channels, ebbs & weaves
With the pulse of the moon & pull of the world.
~
Let me tell you about my first love
Lapping softly, ethereally at my pin cued flesh
Salty, raw, unfamiliar . . . and yet the truest caress
On my nascent soul. The fresh home that
shook me awake.
~
Water became my chapel, a place where
eerie silence morphed into a vibrant hug of life
Gloriously unfamiliar sparks of color, sound, ritual . . .
Chased by a past I could never fathom, but
observe, slowly, through privileged eyes that
Yearned for knowledge.
~
That small, mounting pressure, bubbling up from the
Depths of my throat that triggered involuntary
Ascent into cluttered heights of naïve
but beautiful quads, unfamiliar, haunting, mine?
~
Now then to embrace solid flesh, rooted, pungent,
Ugly, how then to disentangle the sour from
that web of grout & malformation?
~
My greatest taste has been to embark again on
The intersection of land and sea. Cruxes of disaster.
Realms of change. I stand.
~
My pores seep salt, my heart throbs brackish. I am blissfully unwhole. I step into the sunlight.
Anja was passionate about the ocean and an important member of both our scientific community and the ICS Ph.D. program. Over the last 10 months, we have raised more than $14,000 for the Anja Sjostrom Memorial Scholarship in Coastal Science. This Fall, we will request applications to award the first scholarship next spring. Please help us continue to grow this important scholarship by using the button below to provide your support of ECU’s coastal sciences in memory of Anja.