Mike’s research interests include understanding Gulf Stream variability in position, transport, and orientation, and its effect on the complex confluence of different water masses that occur off of North Carolina. Mike leads the Coastal Studies Institute’s Gulf Stream resource assessment for the Renewable Ocean Energy Program. He also expands and maintains the observing equipment for the northeastern region (NC-COOS) and the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA). He has managed field research project design across disciplines in the marine environment of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Specifics of Mike’s ongoing research efforts include:

•  Understanding high-frequency variability in the cyclonic shear zone of the Gulf Stream with HF radars
• Quantifying the variability in the available hydrokinetic energy resource from the Gulf Stream for the state of NC
• Inferring Gulf Stream transport from HF radar surface current measurements
• Gulf Stream, Mid-Atlantic Bight, South Atlantic Bight, Chesapeake Bay Outflow, and Slope Sea water mass dynamics off of NC

He has contributed to many research partnerships with organizations and businesses including: USACE Coastal Hydraulics Lab, Rutgers University, SKIO, WHOI, Scripps, UNC CH, NCSU, UNCC, NOAA, ODU, ECU, and NOAA. At the Army Corps Of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck, Mike operates a Coastal Ocean Radar (CODAR). Mike helped design and develop the research infrastructure at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, NC where CSI maintains an ocean energy device test center. He has built collaborations with private companies like Weatherflow, Surfline, and Codar Ocean Sensors to increase ocean observations and expand monitoring efforts between academia and private industry. Mike has worked to help provide the U.S Coast Guard with information to contribute to search and rescue efforts utilizing ocean observing data. Mike teaches in CSI’s Department of Coastal Studies during the spring semester. He is a divemaster with the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), and holds certifications with the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) and the American Association of Underwater Scientists (AAUS). He is a US Coast Guard licensed OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel) Captain. He is also the Vice President of Product Management for Fathom Science LLC.

Muglia, Michael, Harvey Seim, and Patterson Taylor. “Gulf Stream Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.” Marine Technology Society Journal 54.6 (2020): 24-36.

Bin-Karim, Shamir, Mike Muglia, Christopher Vermillion. “Centralized Position Optimization of Multiple Agents in Spatiotemporally-Varying Environment: a Case Study with Relocatable Energy-Harvesting Autonomous Underwater Vehicles in the Gulf Stream”. 2019 IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications (CCTA). IEEE CCTA Hong Kong, China, 2019.

S. Tandom, S. Divi, M. Muglia, C. Vermillion, A. Mazzoleni. “Modeling and Dynamic Analysis of a Mobile Underwater Turbine System for Harvesting Marine Hydrokinetic Energy”, submitted for review to Ocean Engineering. January, 2019.

S. Divi, S. Tandom, M. Muglia, C. Vermillion, A. Mazzoleni. “Conceptual Design & Feasibility Analysis of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Generator for Harvesting Gulf Stream Marine Hydrokinetic Energy”. Submitted to Journal of Ocean Engineering & Marine Energy July, 2018.

Andres, Magdalena, et al. “Continuous Flow of Upper Labrador Sea Water around Cape Hatteras.” Scientific reports8.1 (2018): 4494.

Lowcher, M. Muglia, Bane, J., R. He, Y. Gong, S. Haines. Marine Hydrokinetic Energy in the Gulf Stream off North Carolina: An Assessment Using Observations and Ocean Circulation Models.  Springer book chapter on Ocean Energy.

Bane, J., R. He, M. Muglia, C. Lowcher, Y. Gong, S. Haines. Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Potential in Western Boundary Currents. Annual Review of Marine Science, in press.

Haines, S., H. Seim, M. Muglia. Radialmetric Quality Control Improvement of Codar Surface Current Currents. Submitted for publication this quarter.

Muglia, M., et al. “Hourly Gulf Stream Position, Width, and Orientation Estimates with HF Radar off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U.S.A.” presented at American Geophysical Union meeting: December 12-16, 2016. San Francisco, Ca.

Bane, J., et al. “Marine Hydrokinetic Energy from Western Boundary Currents” Poster presented by Muglia at American Geophysical Union meeting: December 12-16, 2016. San Francisco, Ca.

Muglia, M., Taylor, P., Bane, J., Haines, S., Seim, H., Lowcher, C., Gong, Y. Gulf Stream Hydrokinetic Energy Resource Characterization off Cape Hatteras, N.C., Marine Energy Technology Symposium, Washington, D.C. April 26-27, 2016.

Bane, J., R. He, M. Muglia, C. Lowcher, Y. Gong, S. Haines. Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Potential in Western Boundary Currents. Annual Review of Marine Science, in press.

Haines, S., Seim, H., and Muglia, M. Update on Quality Control of Seasonde Radial Currents: Implementation and Application, Radiowave Operators Working Group Meeting (ROWG-8), Woods Hole, Massachusetts, November 2-4, 2015.

Muglia M., He R., Lowcher, C., Bane J., Taylor P., Gong, Y., Gulf Stream marine hydrokinetic energy resource characterization off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, Poster presented at American Geophysical Union meeting: December 14-18, 2015. San Francisco, Ca.

Muglia, Michael, Harvey Seim, Sara Haines. Identifying the Shoreward Gulf Stream Front at Cape Hatteras with Coastal Ocean Radar Surface Currents. Talk and publication presented at Oceans IEEE/MTS, 2012 October 14-19; Virginia Beach, Va. Publication available upon request

Muglia, Michael, Harvey Seim, Billy Edge. Gulf Stream hydrokinetic energy resource assessment for North Carolina. Talk presented at: Section 28: Marine Renewable Energy Research, Development, Evaluation, and Policy. 17th biennial Ocean Sciences Meeting; 2014 February 23-28; Honolulu HI.

Lowcher, Caroline, John Bane, Mike Muglia, Ruoying He and Yanlin Gong. Gulf Stream power characteristics off Cape Hatteras, NC. Poster session presented at: Section 28: Marine Renewable Energy Research, Development, Evaluation, and Policy. 17th biennial Ocean Sciences Meeting; 2014 February 23-28; Honolulu HI

Muglia, Michael, Harvey Seim, Sara Haines. Measuring the landward Gulf Stream front variability off Cape Hatteras with HF radar”, IEEE/OES Current Waves and Turbulence Workshop: March 2-6, 2015. St. Petersburg Fl.

Muglia, Michael, Ruoying He, Caroline Lowcher, John Bane, Patterson Taylor, Billy Edge. Observation and regional model based Gulf Stream marine hydrokinetic energy resource estimates for North Carolina, MTS/IEEE Oceans 2015 : May 18-21, 2015. Genova, Italy.

Stearns, L.; Muglia, M.; Seim, H.E.; Bane, J.; Blanton, B.; Surface Currents off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, ROW 4, Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia: The complete PPT presentation is available.

Muglia, M; Atwater, D.; Site Maintenance Discussion Leader; Radio Operators Work Group Conference 2005, Aboard “Majesty of the Seas”; Presentation notes and pictures available upon request.

Stearns, L.; Muglia, M.; Seim, H.E.; Bane, J.; Surface Currents Off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, ASLO/TOS Ocean Research 2004 Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii: the complete PDF poster is available.

Muglia, M., Seim, H., Taylor, P., Haines, S. Estimating Gulf Stream Position with HF Radar off Cape Hatteras, N.C., Poster Presented at Ocean Sciences Meeting, New Orleans, LA. February 21-26, 2016.