From our Guest Editor
In this issue, At the Water’s Edge, we turn our focus to marine science, a field that is evolving rapidly as pressures on our coastlines and oceans continue to grow. From coastal zones to the deep ocean, our clients are navigating increasingly complex and sometimes competing environmental, operational, emergency, and security challenges, often in the face of uncertainty and incomplete information. At the same time, the scale and economic importance of ocean-based industries continue to expand.
The stories in this issue highlight how Tetra Tech is using advanced observation systems, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to support offshore energy development, maritime infrastructure, emergency response, pollution reduction, and coastal zone management in waterfront communities around the world.
Tetra Tech’s 60 years of Leading with Science® demonstrates what has always set us apart: deep technical expertise, a culture of innovation, and a commitment to applying research and technology at scale. As an environmental engineer with more than 20 years of experience in marine science, I believe there has never been a more important or more exciting time to be part of shaping sustainable solutions at the water’s edge.
Kelly Knee, Tetra Tech Ocean Science Team Lead
The challenge is no longer access to ocean data, but translating it into timely, actionable insight that supports better decisions.
Kelly Knee, Tetra Tech Ocean Science Team Lead
How are Data and AI Rewriting Ocean Science?
A conversation with Kelly Knee, Tetra Tech’s ocean science team lead
With a tidal wave of ocean data available, the challenge is how we turn it into actionable insight. Our experts are using AI, uncrewed systems, and purpose-built software to protect wildlife, derisk offshore projects, and strengthen maritime security. In this interview, Kelly shares today’s biggest marine challenges and the “blue technology” tools that are reshaping responses. Learn how Tetra Tech is using practical innovation to help clients succeed in a rapidly changing marine landscape.
Hearing Underwater: How We Use AI to Detect and Protect Marine Mammals
How can AI help protect whales and dolphins while cutting costs and saving time for offshore energy projects? Tetra Tech’s Neptune AI system—trained on real offshore soundscapes—detects faint marine mammal calls in noisy environments with industry-leading accuracy, enabling real-time mitigation, reduced data transmission, and major operational savings. Discover how we support offshore energy clients to protect the environment surrounding their project sites.
Protecting our Coasts: The Use of Predictive Analytics to Prevent Sewage Spills
How can sewage spills be stopped before they start? Our client TasWater, asked us to help figure it out. Our water experts built a predictive model that turns pump run data into real-time alerts, or warning signs, to give crews time to intervene and protect communities and coastal environments. After a successful pilot, the approach was scaled across regional stations. Learn how this model is proof that smarter data equals faster response and fewer spills.
Clearing the Way for D3: Permitting Belfast’s Landmark Cruise Berth
Despite its complexity, permitting across land and sea is essential to unlock infrastructure that drives jobs, tourism, and sustained regional economic growth. In Northern Ireland, Belfast Harbour accounts for 70 percent of Northern Ireland’s and 20 percent of the entire island’s seaborne trade. The £90 million D3 cruise terminal project aims to expand that capability and accommodate some of the world’s largest vessels. Learn how Tetra Tech supported our client to secure all environmental permits to get the project up and running.
Leading with Science® Over Six Decades
Innovating Over the Years: From Physical Tanks to Digital Oceans
This year, Tetra Tech marks six decades of innovation that include some of the underpinnings of the fundamental science applied in coastal analysis and flood protection today. In the 1960s, we used early coastal and physical wave tank models that laid the scientific and engineering groundwork for today’s advanced digital modeling, AI, and decision-support tools. Learn about some of Tetra Tech’s earliest projects and see how smart experimentation fostered some of today’s marine solution technologies.
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