The Symbiotic Engineering and Analysis Lab develops interdisciplinary symbiotic solutions to advance sustainable offshore technologies vital to the growth of the Blue Economy* and the mitigation of climate change. The SEA Lab is led by Professor Maha Haji in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan.
The Symbiotic Engineering and Analysis Lab develops interdisciplinary symbiotic solutions to advance sustainable offshore technologies vital to the growth of the Blue Economy* and the mitigation of climate change. The SEA Lab is led by Professor Maha Haji in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Research
Systems Engineering
Integrating systems to better provide mutually beneficial relationships with the oceans.
Mineral Extraction
Harvesting tech-essential minerals from seawater, including uranium, cobalt, and lithium.
Offshore Energy
Harnessing and storing the energy at sea to meet the energy needs of tomorrow.
Aquaculture
Reliably and cost-effectively expanding aquaculture farms further offshore.
Research
Systems Engineering
Integrating systems to better provide mutually beneficial relationships with the oceans.
Mineral Extraction
Harvesting tech-essential minerals from seawater, including uranium, cobalt, and lithium.
Offshore Energy
Harnessing and storing the energy at sea to meet the energy needs of tomorrow.
Aquaculture
Reliably and cost-effectively expanding aquaculture farms further offshore.
News
Vitale Awarded ORISE Fellowship
PhD candidate O. Vitale received the Marine Energy Fellowship through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the Department of Energy Wave Power Technologies Office. Through this program, Vitale will collaborate with an industry partner to complete their thesis on WEC arrays. Congrats!
September 25th, 2025
Vitale presents at INORE
PhD candidate O. Vitale presented their work on WEC arrays at the International Network for Offshore Renewable Energy (INORE) European Symposium in Lokken, Denmark. Nice work!
September 20th, 2025
SEA Lab presents at IDETC
SEA lab members Nate DeGoede, Matt Haefner, and Maha Haji presented at the annual ASME IDETC conference in Anaheim, California. Great work!
August 18th, 2025
SEA Lab presents at UMERC
SEA lab members Alaa Ahmed, Kapil Khanal, Rebecca McCabe, Eliana Olson, Collin Treacy, and Olivia Vitale presented oral presentations, workshops, and posters at the annual UMERC+METS conference in Corvallis, Oregon. Alaa, Rebecca, Eliana, and Olivia all won awards for the work they presented at the conference – great work!
August 12th, 2025
HetWECs Project Featured by TEAMER
HetWECs was featured by Testing and Expertise in Marine Energy (TEAMER). This project investigates heterogenous WEC arrays and analyzes their hydrodynamic interactions. Learn more through their video feature here!
July 8th, 2025
News
Vitale Awarded ORISE Fellowship
PhD candidate O. Vitale received the Marine Energy Fellowship through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the Department of Energy Wave Power Technologies Office. Through this program, Vitale will collaborate with an industry partner to complete their thesis on WEC arrays. Congrats!
September 25th, 2025
Vitale presents at INORE
PhD candidate O. Vitale presented their work on WEC arrays at the International Network for Offshore Renewable Energy (INORE) European Symposium in Lokken, Denmark. Nice work!
September 20th, 2025
SEA Lab presents at IDETC
SEA lab members Nate DeGoede, Matt Haefner, and Maha Haji presented at the annual ASME IDETC conference in Anaheim, California. Great work!
August 18th, 2025
SEA Lab presents at UMERC
SEA lab members Alaa Ahmed, Kapil Khanal, Rebecca McCabe, Eliana Olson, Collin Treacy, and Olivia Vitale presented oral presentations, workshops, and posters at the annual UMERC+METS conference in Corvallis, Oregon. Alaa, Rebecca, Eliana, and Olivia all won awards for the work they presented at the conference – great work!
August 12th, 2025
HetWECs Project Featured by TEAMER
HetWECs was featured by Testing and Expertise in Marine Energy (TEAMER). This project investigates heterogenous WEC arrays and analyzes their hydrodynamic interactions. Learn more through their video feature here!
July 8th, 2025
Selected Publications
Fully differentiable boundary element solver for hydrodynamic sensitivity analysis of wave-structure interactions
Kapil Khanal, Carlos A. Michelén Ströfer, Matthieu Ancellin, Maha N. Haji
Applied Ocean Research, Volume 163, 2025
Integrated Pumped Hydro Reverse Osmosis System optimization featuring surrogate model development in Reverse Osmosis modeling
M. W. Haefner and M. N. Haji
Applied Energy, 352, 121812, 2023
The power balancing benefits of wave energy converters in offshore wind-wave farms with energy storage
J. M. Kluger, M. N. Haji, and A. H. Slocum
Applied Energy, 331, 120389, 2023.
Autonomous control of a prototype solar-powered offshore autonomous underwater vehicle servicing platform via a low-cost embedded architecture
E. Rolland, M. N. Haji, and O. L. de Weck
Journal of Field Robotics, 1-20, 2023.
A review of technologies for direct lithium extraction from low Li+ concentration aqueous solutions
O. Murphy and M. N. Haji
Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, 4, 2022.
Fully differentiable boundary element solver for hydrodynamic sensitivity analysis of wave-structure interactions
Kapil Khanal, Carlos A. Michelén Ströfer, Matthieu Ancellin, Maha N. Haji
Applied Ocean Research, Volume 163, 2025
Selected Publications
Integrated Pumped Hydro Reverse Osmosis System optimization featuring surrogate model development in Reverse Osmosis modeling
M. W. Haefner and M. N. Haji
Applied Energy, 352, 121812, 2023
The power balancing benefits of wave energy converters in offshore wind-wave farms with energy storage
J. M. Kluger, M. N. Haji, and A. H. Slocum
Applied Energy, 331, 120389, 2023.
Autonomous control of a prototype solar-powered offshore autonomous underwater vehicle servicing platform via a low-cost embedded architecture
E. Rolland, M. N. Haji, and O. L. de Weck
Journal of Field Robotics, 1-20, 2023.
A review of technologies for direct lithium extraction from low Li+ concentration aqueous solutions
O. Murphy and M. N. Haji
Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, 4, 2022.
*The Blue Economy is defined by the United Nations as an ocean economy that aims at “the improvement of human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (UN, 2014, p.2)
*The Blue Economy is defined by the United Nations as an ocean economy that aims at “the improvement of human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (UN, 2014, p.2)