Abstract
The “Blue Economy” is a rapidly growing movement based on the economic, social, and ecological sustainability of the ocean and encompasses various maritime activities, including ocean observations. The demand for ocean data to inform scientific, risk reduction, and national security needs relies upon future deployments of observing systems and over coming constraints, such as power.
In Spring 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office published the “Powering the Blue Economy” Report which explored opportunities for marine renewable energy (MRE) in maritime markets, including ocean observing and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) recharge.
In support of this initiative, online surveys and phone/in-person interviews were conducted with a range of ocean observing experts. Interviewees were asked about: system energy needs, end user requirements, and opportunities for co-development with MRE.