[Coral-List] OTEC at Guam

[Michael J. Gawel]

For  Erik Meesters request on OTEC impact studies.
Some areas for Erik to research for references, if he hasn't yet, would be
in the tropical Pacific OTEC research.
The Government of Guam has studied potential OTEC development since the
1970's. The University of Guam Marine Lab scientists have done local
temperature and bathymetry studies for OTEC decades ago including a 1980
thesis by D.M. Rowley on biofouling communities at the proposed Guam OTEC
site. Guam Power Authority has done more recent analysis on OTEC related
potentials. I believe intake depths were calculated for maybe 1,200 feet
depth and any piping would have to cross reefs with high coral diversity.
The discharge from OTEC facilities apparently would have to be very deep
to avoid impacts to reef life. Directional drilling has been used for
sewer outfalls on Guam to avoid impacts on reef habitats and probably
would be applied for OTEC piping.
OTEC studies at Hainan and Taiwan may have considered coral reef impacts
and the 1980's Japanese trial on Nauru of OTEC technology crossed coral
reefs for intake and may have had impact studies. Sorry I haven't been
able to search references for these.

Mike Gawel