BETHANY BEACH, DE -- On Thursday, Rob Nicholson with the University of Delaware presented the Bethany Beach Stormwater & Flooding Committee and residents with details on "The Blue Economy" and technology used to help advance economic activities related to the coastal and marine environment.
Nicholson introduced "Project ABLE", a new 2-year, $1.3 million project funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and housed in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) in coordination with Delaware State University and the UD Center for Autonomous and Robotic Systems.
The project uses robotic systems to support offshore environmental research and monitoring particularly in support of offshore wind development, aquaculture, coastline resilience, and more.
"They can be utilized essentially for ocean mapping, or coastal zone management activities, or even understanding what's in the waters of a lake or a pond," Nicholson tells WBOC.
Following the presentation, Bethany Beach Stormwater & Flooding Committee Chair, Ron Calef, said he thinks the technology could one day be beneficial to the town.
"It's going to be on the bayside, because right now it affects the Town of Bethany Beach more than the ocean side does in terms of flooding and where we need to be resilient," says Calef.
As the project relates to offshore wind, a hot topic in Delaware's coastal towns right now, Nicholson says his team can answer questions people may have about the benefits and drawbacks of a fairly new industry in the Unite States.
"It's really our job to collect data, to analyze the data, and to help informed decision making," says Nicholson. "Ultimately the science could lead to not very good outcomes, or really good outcomes."
The initiative is based at The University of Delaware's Lewes Campus.