Portal:MERMAID/Mediterranean Sea

The activities in the Mediterranean will performed at an existing platform usually adopted for monitoring purposes in the Adriatic Sea (off-shore Venice).

The "Acqua Alta" research tower was installed on January 1970 off the Gulf of Venice, Italy, by Micoperi for the CNR. The platform will in include multiple energy converters, i.e. floating and submerged wave energy converters and will be also used as a pilot experimental site for farming target species of invertebrates or seaweeds of commercial, conservation or research interest.

The "Acqua Alta" research tower at the Gulf of Venice, Italy

Ecological experiments will focus on identifying physical conditions and/or structure configuration that are most likely to facilitate good levels of natural recruitment in the field. Engineering activities will include: reconstruction of wave and wind climate, modelling of the hydrodynamic conditions at the platform, monitoring and optimization of wave energy converters, evaluation of the possible inclusion of wind energy converters, modelling of mooring systems and interactions with the sea-bed. Connection of the energy converters and/or local storage techniques will be also examined.

Cost-benefit analysis of the multi-purpose platform will be performed. If initial activities reveal that the proposed site is not adequate an alternative site will be found. In the identification of the suggested site above, another site at Sicily has also been considered, which could be an alternative site.