7 of 7 Marine systems
Controls & simulation
HIGH TIDE
Fixed submerged sections. Two possible exits.
Keep water flowing.
Give jellyfish an exit.
A marine system exploring how controlled bubble sections can guide jellyfish away from seawater intakes.
- What we built
- A working transport model and its control logic, run through 165 scenarios.
What it is
A controlled bubble corridor designed to guide jellyfish away from seawater intakes toward a checked exit. Keep water flowing. Give marine life a way through.
The problem
A continuous arrival of jellyfish can cover intake screens, restrict seawater flow and increase cleaning demand. Keeping animals out of an intake is only part of the problem: a growing trapped group needs a route out.
Who it’s for
Operators of seawater-dependent coastal infrastructure responding to seasonal blooms. Developed for the ENEC track of Advanced Technology Pioneers 2026, High Tide starts after the existing offshore warning.
The thinking behind it
An angled, permeable bubble corridor uses water movement to guide animals toward an assessed exit. Separately controlled sections let the system select a different arrangement as the cross-current changes.
The goal
Continuous clearance with less manual handling, serviceable equipment and measured operating limits. The target in the challenge brief is adult blue blubber jellyfish, Catostylus mosaicus, with a 30–45 cm bell.
How it works
Bubbles move water.
The corridor stays open.
The proposed equipment sits outside plant systems and strong intake capture flow. It uses local observations to choose a route, then checks whether animals actually leave the approach.
- 01
Current & movement
Observe
Receive the offshore alert, measure local current and check the route out. Count intake entries, exits, retained animals and returns.
- 02
Segmented diffuser arrays
Guide
Rising air moves the surrounding water. Two fixed, mirrored arrangements let the controller change the selected exit. The curtain remains permeable.
- 03
Control & operating limits
Respond
Activate the relevant sections and allow for switching delay. An unsuitable exit or loss of air supply requires a fault response and operator attention.
- 04
Accessible equipment
Service
Keep the compressor and valves onshore. Retrieve submerged diffuser frames to inspect fouling, leaks, air uniformity, anchors and frame level.
The drawings show the proposed system architecture, developed from public research and our own modelling.
Digital prototype
Follow every arrival.
Read every outcome.
Run the submitted transport model here. Change the configuration or scenario, watch the route respond, then inspect the final counts. All five configurations use the same seed and geometry.
Open original prototypeSeed 42 · 15-minute horizon
Same arrivals. Same geometry.
- Arrivals
- 0
- Intake
- 0
- Outside exit
- 0
- Retained
- 0
- Other boundary
- 0
- Returned*
- 0
Ready to run. 0 seconds. 0 arrivals; 0 intake; 0 outside exit; 0 retained; 0 other boundary; 0 returned.
Arrivals = intake + outside exit + retained + other boundary. *Returned overlaps those outcomes. An outside exit counts an animal that has left through the corridor.
Low intake is only
half the story.
With fixed bubbles, no animals enter the intake, but 722 of 900 remain in the approach. Controlled switching reduces retention to 390, while 78 enter the intake. The model makes that trade-off visible.
| Configuration | Intake | Outside exit | Retained | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No diversion | 338 | 0 | 456 | 106 |
| Fixed bubbles | 0 | 33 | 722 | 145 |
| Controlled sections | 78 | 266 | 390 | 166 |
| Angled porous guide | 200 | 0 | 558 | 142 |
| Distributed water flow | 0 | 77 | 512 | 311 |
The model tracks every arriving animal and tests the control logic as the current changes, giving the water-channel trials a clear starting point.
Demo & files
See the proposal.
Inspect the work.
The submitted demonstration walks through the problem, the system and the working model. The files below hold the full proposal, every scenario result and the source code.
Project files
Proposal deckPDF · 10 pagesTechnical & evidence packPDF · 6 pagesAll scenario resultsCSV · 165 runsEquipment & cost basisCSV · quantities & assumptionsRisk registerCSV · 13 risks assessedOriginal model & sourceZIP · reproducible workResearch & referencesPublished source pageRead the demo narration
When jellyfish arrive in large numbers, they can cover intake screens. Water flow becomes restricted, and cleaning demand rises.
High Tide proposes a controlled diversion corridor. Our response starts after the existing offshore alert. Every intercepted animal needs a suitable route out. A growing trapped group means the system is failing.
Angled air pipes release rising bubbles. These bubbles move surrounding water. Together with the local current, that movement is intended to guide animals toward an open exit. The curtain remains permeable.
Separate sections let the controller select a different arrangement when the cross-current reverses. It checks intake entry, exits, retention, and returning animals. An unsuitable exit stops active diversion.
Here is our working model. Both views use the same continuous arrivals and current history. Watch the reversal. The fixed curtain keeps intake entry low, but many animals remain. Controlled switching reduces retention in this example, while some animals enter the intake. The actuator response is assumed. These results do not prove field performance or animal safety.
The proposed equipment has accessible compressors and valves, with removable submerged sections. Power, fouling, leaks, and retrieval remain part of the design decision.
Next, water-channel tests will compare bubbles, a physical guide, and distributed water flow. Supervised biological tests must then check injury and survival. High Tide aims for continuous clearance, a measured exit, and clear operating limits.
Roadmap
A working model.
A clear path to the water.
The digital model is complete. Each step from here takes High Tide closer to the water: channel trials, biological tests, a site assessment and a pilot.
- 01
Delivered
Digital model
Transport accounting, control logic and 165 scenario runs.
- 02
Step 2
Water channel
Compare bubbles, a porous guide and distributed flow with surrogate animals.
- 03
Step 3
Biological tests
Check animal welfare with target-species experts.
- 04
Step 4
Site assessment
Measure currents, waves, intake flow, seabed depth and exit quality.
- 05
Step 5
Pilot
Run a pilot within agreed, tested operating limits.
The project team
Syed Ahamed Shameer · Randall Lutuciri · Usman Muhammad · Mustafa Muhammad
Submitted to Advanced Technology Pioneers 2026 · ENEC track.
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