By Kerry Trueman

Thanks to a $5 million dollar grant from the state of Florida, Atlantic University has established The Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology. The Center’s sole purpose is to figure out how to harness the incredible power of Florida’s Gulf Stream, which flows at 8 billion gallons per minute.

If the Center can perfect the underwater wind turbines it’s in the process of developing, Florida could someday draw one third of its energy needs from the ocean, about as much power as several nuclear plants would provide.

But what sort of impact will the underwater turbines have on the Gulf Stream’s marine life? There’s some concern that fish might pass through the turbines’ blades and get chopped up, becoming bait which would then lure more fish, creating what Rick Driscoll, the Center’s director, described as “a sustaining Cuisinart effect.” Here’s hoping they’ll find a way to tap into this terrific source of renewable energy in a way that’s sustainable for all Floridians, including the fish.

Learn more about The Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology’s excellent underwater venture here.