Ocean and Energy

About

- Ocean, Atmosphere & Climate: This course will review the basic physical properties of the ocean and lower atmosphere. The main goal is to introduce the dynamics of seawater: currents, waves, swell, tides. Other sources of ocean energy : wind, thermal energy, biofuels, osmotic pressure, etc, will be introduced.The impacts of climate change on these resources will be discussed. This course will give students a foundation to understand the sources of marine energies. Students will observe tidal dynamics at the nearby beach.

- Natural Resources and the Blue Economy: In this course, students will review the interaction between humankind and the ocean, with a focus on the extraction of resources. The legal and environmental context will be presented : territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, IPCC simulations. The ocean will be described as a food source, means of transportation, and source of energy. Discussion of how climate-resilient solutions can be used to reduce human impacts. An overview of maritime transportation systems will be contextualized by a site visit to the commercial harbour of La Rochelle.

- Mapping the Potential for Marine Renewable Energy: In this course, students will collect information about currents and/or winds over a given geographic area over a period of time from European open data bases. Using this geospatial data, they will identify areas of interest for the use of different marine renewable energy systems, based on multi-criteria decision making. This course is lab-based using GIS software (QGIS). No previous experience is required.

- Design Challenge: Students will divide into small groups to face this design challenge. Learners will be given a short brief and a set of materials. The final result will be built and put to test at the nearby beach during a final competition.

Course leader

EIGSI La Rochelle - Graduate School of Engineering

Target group

Students with at least two years post-secondary education in science and engineering.

Course aim

EIGSI Summer School is a great opportunity to learn more about the occean and natural resources. Students will get the chance to combine high-quality, hands-on courses with outdoors activities while also experiencing the closeness of the ocean.

Fee info