overview

• Mike Muglia is the Assistant Director of Science and Research for the NC Ocean Energy Program and an Associate Research Professor at the East Carolina University Coastal Studies Institute on the Outer Banks of NC. His scientific interests include understanding variability in position and transport of western boundary currents; the complex confluence of different shelf water masses; shelf and deep ocean exchange processes; meridional overturning circulation linkages between western boundary currents and deep western boundary currents; and applying his oceanographic knowledge to developing renewable ocean energy solutions. Specifics of his ongoing research efforts include:
  
  
  Understanding high-frequency variability in the cyclonic shear zone of the Gulf Stream with HF radars
  
  
  Quantifying the variability in the available hydrokinetic energy resource from the Gulf Stream for the state of NC
  
  
  Gulf Stream, Mid Atlantic Bight, South Atlantic Bight, Chesapeake Bay Outflow, and Slope Sea water mass dynamics off of NC
  
  
  Marine renewable energy resource characterization and development of underwater kites, wave energy converters, and co-axial turbines
  
  
  Mike has extensive experience integrating, deploying, maintaining, and recovering many different types of observing systems and marine renewable energy devices; analyzing oceanographic observations; instructing students; and managing field projects with faculty, graduate students, and private industry partners. He has worked to develop marine renewable energy devices with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He holds a joint appointment at NREL. His collaborators include faculty at NCSU, U. Maryland, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Rutgers University, NREL, UNCC, UNC CH, and NC A&;T.