Emerald Ocean Engineering:  Representative Projects

 

Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on MS and LA Coastal Structures – In addition to its massive physical impacts, Hurricane Katrina engendered many disputes between policy holders and insurance companies over the agent and timing of damages to covered structures – what became known as the “wind vs. flood” question.

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“Living Shoreline” Bank Stabilization – Localized erosion was threatening a roadway on Eglin Air Force Base. FL. The client’s RFP was for a sheet pile or rock retaining wall, but Emerald Ocean Engineering’s bid for a novel marine mattress revetment came in at half the cost of these traditional approaches.  

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A High-reliability System for Capturing Hurricane Wave Data - The Corps of Engineers required measurements of extreme waves in Lake Pontchartrain to study wave run-up which could overtop the lakefront hurricane protection structures which protect the city of New Orleans from inundation.  

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Hydraulic Analysis of St Joseph Bay – St Joseph Bay is formed by a curving, rapidly eroding sand spit with the prominent Cape San Blas located at its southern tip. A narrow section of the peninsula at a site called Stump Hole will likely breach in the near future. The new inlet will bisect the only road available to peninsula residents and visitors to St Joseph Peninsula State Park.  

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Engineering Services for Project Greenshores - Greenshores is an award-winning habitat restoration effort that will create emergent and submerged saltmarsh vegetation along ~ 1 mile of urban shoreline on the northwest shore of Pensacola Bay, FL. The primary objective was to create a highly visible, habitat-rich, educational shoreline restoration project to serve as a model for other disturbed areas of shoreline.

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Shore Protection for Seaside – Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina caused dramatic bluff erosion to Seaside, a unique coastal development. EOE developed an equally unique plan to stabilize the dunes using a novel tensile curtain retaining wall that was invisible in place and required minimal disruption to the dune system.

Client:
Town of Seaside, FL

Reports:
Proprietary

Coastal Engineering Services for Escambia County, FL - Provide planning, analysis, design, monitoring, and measurement of coastal processes, coastal structures, and coastal habitats, and consultation and advice as required on coastal engineering issues of concern.

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3-Dimensional Hydraulic Physical Model Evaluation for the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor - Recent topographic surveys of the breakwaters for Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbors revealed an average crest elevation of the San Pedro Breakwater of approximately 1.5 ft below the design crest of + 14 ft MLLW. Of particular concern is the potential for impacts on Port operations from increased low frequency wave energy levels at various terminals inside the harbor. Emerald Ocean Engineering conducted a physical model study to estimate future impacts on harbor operations if crest loss continues or if the crest is restored to the design elevation.

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Hydrodynamic Climate/Extremal Analysis of Santa Rosa Island, FL - This project provided hydrodynamic climate for use in selecting design conditions for a planned Underwater Marine Sanctuary as part of the Navarre Beach State Park.

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Underwater Remote Sensing Survey of Naval Station Pascagoula - A review of the past cultural environment and an underwater remote sensing survey of proposed expansion at Naval Station Pascagoula, including a multi-beam bathymetric survey, a sidescan sonar survey, and a magnetometer survey.

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Solar-Powered Boat – Emerald Ocean Engineering is consulting on the next generation of a solar-powered boat, the successor to the STEVI – Solar Technology Electric Vessel Integration. STEVI 2 is planned as a solar-assisted, alternative-fuel passenger ferry operating in Pensacola Bay, FL.

Characterization of Coastal Erosion Management by the Gulf States - A report characterizing the manner in which each Gulf of Mexico state (FL, AL, MS, LA, & TX) treats problems arising from coastal erosion and regulates methods to mitigate such problems, considering the integrated meaning of pertinent laws, regulations, and written policies together with the application of such to specific permitting decisions, lawsuits, or other visible actions.
Client: US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf of Mexico Program

Reports:  Technical Report 21

Statewide Coastal Engineering Services Task Order - Provide professional Coastal Engineering services as part of a statewide continuing services contract, for projects including beach erosion, control structures, marine structures, dune restoration, etc.

Client: Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks
Various Marina and Harbor Studies – Emerald Ocean Engineering has provided design, permitting, and/or evaluation studies in support of the following projects: Los Angeles Harbor, San Pedro, CA; Sunset Marina, Pensacola, FL; Ventura Harbor, Ventura, CA; City Small Boat Harbor, Pensacola, FL; Santa Rosa Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL; Sabine Marina channel, Pensacola Beach, FL; Pegasus Marina, Perdido Key, FL; Windward Cove Marina, Pensacola, FL; Sea Horse Marina, Pensacola Beach, FL.
Expert Witness Designation – Mr. McGehee has been designated as an expert witness and been deposed in several cases of litigation. In every case, the parties reached a settlement without going to court after his testimony.
  • Forensic analysis of defective SCUBA equipment and its role in a diving fatality
  • Interpretation of consistency of Florida Department of Environmental Regulation permits with Florida Statures and FDEP Regulations
  • Littoral impacts of unpermitted coastal construction on adjacent shorelines
  • Forensic analysis of hurricane wind and surge effects to storm-damaged structures