Underwater Vehicle Used To Map Bay Bottom

Rutgers University and Gateway NRA recently deployed an autonomous underwater vehicle called REMUS (Remote Environmental Monitoring UnitS) to map the bottom of Sandy Hook Bay.

Building on a long-standing partnership between Rutgers University and the National Park Service, Rutgers scientists mapped the bay near the Fort Hancock Historic District so the park can better understand its submerged resources. The data gathered by REMUS will also assist Gateway with a project to build a new ferry dock on the bay side of the peninsula. Each summer thousands travel to Sandy Hook by ferry as a “green” transportation alternative.

Students from three New Jersey schools – Neptune Middle School and high school students from the MATES Academy and the MAST Academy – were also present for a hands-on seminar on coastal ecology. Conducted by scientists from NOAA and the Rutgers University Marine Field Station, the day’s activities included a chance for students to build their own remotely operated vehicles from materials supplied by the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. The principles of buoyancy and propulsion were put to the test as students operated their vehicles in an outdoor tank.