Patent ID: 8251612

Claim:
A tidal barrier, comprising: a net having a tensile membrane, the tensile membrane having an upper edge and a lower edge, the lower edge having a plurality of anchor points for affixing the lower edge to a seabed below a body of water; a bladder affixed to the upper edge and having a valve for selectively inflating and deflating the bladder, the bladder having a sufficient volume to cause the upper edge of the membrane to rise to a surface of the body of water when the volume is inflated with a gas; a pump disposed in proximity to the tensile membrane and in fluid communication with the valve of the bladder, the pump having a controller for selectively prompting the pump to inflate and deflate the bladder with the gas, and a tank in fluid communication between the pump and the valve of the bladder, wherein pump is adapted to pump an amount of gas for inflating the volume of the bladder into the tank for storage, and the tank has an output valve adapted to release the stored amount of gas to the bladder in response to an input.