Symbiotic Engineering and Analysis Lab
We develop interdisciplinary symbiotic solutions to advance sustainable offshore technologies vital to the growth of the ocean-based economy and the mitigation of climate change.
The SEA Lab
The SEA Lab designs the future of offshore technologies.
The SEA Lab designs sustainable ocean systems to support global water, energy, and food needs, advancing passive mineral harvesting for clean energy, ocean-based energy generation and storage, and cost-efficient, resilient offshore aquaculture.
The SEA Lab is led by Professor Maha Haji in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Our Research
Our Team
Our Publications
The SEA Lab specializes in four main research areas:
Research
Systems Engineering
Integrating systems to better provide mutually beneficial relationships with the ocean.
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.
Latest News from the SEA Lab:
SEA Lab Presents at ASME IDETC CIE
Congratulations to PhD candidates Georgia McSwain and Collin Treacy on presenting their research at ASME IDETC CIE in Houston, Texas! They showcased two projects: Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of an Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Ocean Microplastic Removal (presented by Georgia) and End-to-End Differentiable Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Wave Energy Converters (presented by Collin). Excellent work!
August 25th, 2026
PhD Matthew Haefner B Exam
Dr. Matthew Haefner presented Integrated Pumped Hydro Reverse Osmosis Systems at his B Exam. Haefner’s thesis uses multidisciplinary design optimization approaches for exploring collocating pumped storage hydropower and reverse osmosis systems to exploit their symbiotic attributes while meeting energy and water needs. Matt-nificent work, Dr. Haefner!
August 12th, 2026
PhD Olivia Murphy B Exam
July 18th, 2026NewsDr. Olivia Murphy presented Identifying an Optimal Offshore Wind-Powered Sea Water Treatment Process for Co-Located Lithium & Hydrogen Extraction at her B Exam. Murphy’s thesis explores options for lithium and hydrogen extraction from a systems-level perspective. Excellent work, Dr. Murphy!