Power from the Gulf Stream? Marine Energy with Dr. James VanZwieten | The Blue Economy

Could one of the world’s most powerful ocean currents become a source of renewable energy?

Katherine O’Fallon of the Marine Research Hub of South Florida is joined by Dr. James VanZwieten, Director of Florida Atlantic University’s Southeast Marine Energy Center (SMEC), to explore the science, engineering and real-world testing behind efforts to harness energy from the Gulf Stream.

The conversation looks at decades of research into ocean currents off the Florida coast, the challenges of designing and testing marine energy technology in deep, fast-moving water, and the enormous amount of data required before turbines can move from experimental systems toward commercial applications.

James also explains what it takes to conduct offshore testing, why environmental monitoring is fundamental to the research, how scientists measure and understand the Gulf Stream itself, and the role of the U.S. Department of Energy in advancing marine energy technology.

It is a practical look at an extraordinary renewable resource and the engineering required to determine what role ocean current energy could realistically play in the future.

GUEST
Dr. James VanZwieten
Director, Southeast Marine Energy Center (SMEC)
Florida Atlantic University

HOST
Katherine O’Fallon
Marine Research Hub of South Florida

RELEVANT LINKS

Florida Atlantic University – Southeast Marine Energy Center (SMEC)
https://www.fau.edu/engineering/research/snmrec/

Meet the SMEC team
https://www.fau.edu/engineering/research/snmrec/people/

Marine Research Hub of South Florida
https://marineresearchhub.org/

U.S. Department of Energy – Marine Energy Program
https://www.energy.gov/cmei/water/marine-energy-program

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