Science on the Sound Returns for the Season, October 22

Sep 22, 2026 | CSI Latest News, NCROEP, Oceanography & MHK Ocean Energy Lab

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Join us for the October 2026 installment of the Science on the Sound Lecture Series at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus. This monthly, in-person lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights research and topics relevant to the coast and northeastern North Carolina.

Coastal Studies Institute Research Technician Lindsay Wentzel and Research Assistant Trip Taylor will present “Powering the Oyster Farm: Using Marine Energy to Monitor Coastal Waters.” Their presentation will explore how marine energy and environmental monitoring technologies are being used to better understand conditions at coastal oyster farms. The program will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

Two individuals carry the sensing platform through shallow water to the lease site.

Wentzel and Taylor carry the marine energy-powered sensor out to the Herring Shoal Shellfish Company oyster lease for deployment.

What if the movement of our tides could provide the power needed to monitor the health of an oyster farm? This presentation explores an ongoing project using marine energy and low-cost environmental sensors to help North Carolina shellfish growers better understand conditions on their farms.
Researchers are developing and testing a self-powered monitoring system that uses tidal energy to operate sensors and remotely transmit real-time information about the oyster-growing environment. Developed in partnership with North Carolina State University and Herring Shoal Shellfish Company, the system is currently being tested at an oyster farm in Blossie Creek near Oregon Inlet.

Learn how researchers are combining renewable energy, affordable technology, and environmental monitoring to create practical tools that could benefit aquaculture operations and other working waterfronts.

The program is free, and the public is encouraged to attend. The program will also be live-streamed on the CSI YouTube Channel and archived for later viewing.
Watch "Powering the Oyster Farm" on YouTube

About the Speakers

Headshot of Lindsay Wentzel

Lindsay Wentzel

Headshot of Trip Taylor.

Trip Taylor

Lindsay Wentzel is a Research Technician at the Coastal Studies Institute in the Oceanography and Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Lab. She is also a Ph.D. student in East Carolina University’s Integrated Coastal Sciences program. 

Trip Taylor is a Research Assistant at the Coastal Studies Institute in the Oceanography and Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Lab. He has over a decade of experience supporting the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program.

Since 2024, Lindsay and Trip have focused on developing low-cost, accessible sensing technologies in the Outer Banks to address practical environmental monitoring needs. 

Led by East Carolina University (ECU), The Coastal Studies Institute is a multi-institutional research and educational partnership of the UNC System including North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, and Elizabeth City State University.

MORE INFORMATION

CSI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The ECU Outer Banks campus is home to the Coastal Studies Institute.
Located on Roanoke Island along the banks of the second largest estuary
in the United States, this coastal campus spans 213 acres of marshes, scrub wetlands, forested wetlands, and estuarine ecosystems.

ECU OUTER BANKS CAMPUS

FACILITIES

SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS

 

Based at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) advances inter-disciplinary marine energy solutions across UNC System partner colleges of engineering at NC State University, UNC Charlotte, and NC A&T University.  Click on the links below for more information.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

JENNETTE'S PIER WAVE ENERGY TEST CENTER

SMALL-SCALE WAVE TANK

The faculty and staff at the Coastal Studies Institute come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, as well as departments and organizations including ECU Department of Biology, ECU Department of Coastal Studies, NC Sea Grant, the North Carolina Renewable Energy Program, and the UNC Institute for the Environment.

MEET THE TEAM

Tour the ECU Outer Banks Campus and learn about the research, education, and engagement projects of CSI and ECU Integrated Coastal Programs through our 360 virtual tour.

VIRTUAL TOUR