ABSTRACT
The ocean contains a vast renewable energy potential in its waves and tides; in the temperature difference
between cold, deep waters and warm surface waters; and in the salinity differences at river mouths (SERI
1990; Cavanagh, Clarke, and Price 1993; WEC 1993). Waves offer a power source for which numerous
systems have been conceived. Tides are a result of the gravity of the sun, the moon, and the rotation of the
Earth working together. The ocean also acts as a gigantic solar collector, capturing the energy of the sun in
its surface water as heat. The temperature difference between warm surface waters and cold water from
the ocean depths provides a potential source of energy. Other sources of ocean energy include ocean
currents, salinity gradients, and ocean-grown biomass.
