Ocean energy
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The oceans have a tremendous amount of energy and are close to many if not most concentrated populations. Some believe that ocean power will provide a substantial amount of new renewable energy around the world. Difficulties arising from marine life attaching to energy systems in the seas require these to be easily cleanable.
[edit] Renewable ocean energy
The ocean presents a vast source of renewable energy in the form of winds, waves and tides. In addition, there is vast quantity of energy in the form of thermal difference which can be extracted. Several means of extracting energy from the ocean have been tried, some with limited success.
- Wind power (offshore)
- Wave power
- Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
- Tidal power
[edit] Non-renewable ocean energy
Oil and gas beneath the ocean floor are increasingly important sources of energy. An ocean engineer is concerned with all phases of discovering, producing, and delivering offshore petroleum resources, a complex and demanding task. Also of central importance is the development of new methods to protect marine wildlife and coastal regions against the undesirable side effects of offshore oil production.
