Canada: Sea Lion Protection Barrier Developed for WindSentinel Buoy

AXYS Technologies Inc. (AXYS), working in conjunction with Sound and Sea Technology (SST), have developed an innovative sea lion protection barrier system for their WindSentinel™ offshore wind resource assessment system.

The barrier is designed to ensure that seals and sea lions are prevented from climbing onto the WindSentinel during long term deployments in their habitation areas. It has recently been constructed on the WindSentinel that will be deployed by the United States Navy off the West Coast of California.

 “The sea lions that inhabit the California coastal waters weigh around 300 Kg on average and our concern when deploying the WindSentinel is to ensure not only the safety of the equipment on deck, but also the safety of the sea lions.” says Graham Howe, International Business Development for Renewable Energy at AXYS. “The solution developed by our colleagues at SST ensures the protection of the system from the sea lions and also allows for ease of access when servicing the system.”

The US Navy WindSentinel will be deployed in the fall of 2013 as part of a study to characterize the accuracy of floating LiDAR systems.

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Press release, October 3, 2013; Image: AXYS