A state, university and industry partnership will support marine research, workforce training and coastal technology innovation

A compact offshore research platform has been deployed off the Jersey Shore, revitalizing the historic Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO) site and advancing a new era of ocean research, education and marine innovation in New Jersey.

The Rutgers Marine Field Station will play a central role in research operations associated with the LEO-15 program.

Anchored about three miles offshore of the Rutgers Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, N.J., the platform, known as the PowerBuoy®, serves as a floating data hub that delivers real-time information on ocean conditions while supporting scientific instruments, education initiatives and emerging marine technologies.

"The PowerBuoy will help unlock significant opportunities for marine research, scientific discovery and economic growth, all of which will advance New Jersey's innovation future," said Evan Weiss, chief executive of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. "Under the leadership of Governor Mikie Sherrill, the NJEDA is proud to partner with Rutgers University and Stockton University to grow our green economy and position New Jersey as a national leader in sustainable technology."

The deployment marks a major milestone in a collaborative effort among Rutgers University, Stockton University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Ocean Power Technologies Inc., a publicly traded, Monroe Township, N.J.-based provider of maritime technology and services. Together, the partners aim to position New Jersey as a leader in sustainable marine innovation while delivering tangible benefits for research, workforce development and economic growth.

Along the coast, scientists and researchers at two marine field stations will provide logistical and research support for the facility. The Rutgers Marine Field Station is located within the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary, one of the most pristine estuaries on the East Coast. Researchers there focus on fish ecology, coastal impacts and storm-related environmental change. Data from the offshore buoy will complement long-term estuarine observations, creating a more comprehensive understanding of coastal dynamics.

"The Rutgers Marine Field Station has long supported scientists working to understand the dynamic coastal environments and fisheries that define New Jersey," said Thomas Grothues, director of the Rutgers Marine Field Station. "The revitalized LEO observatory extends that work from the estuary to the coastal ocean. By linking long-term observations near shore with new data from offshore, we can better study how fish, habitats, storms and changing marine conditions interact."

In Port Republic, N.J., the Stockton Marine Field Station occupies an 8-acre waterfront site with laboratories, teaching and office space, dockage and a fleet of research vessels such as the R/V Petrel, which will support access to the LEO site. Research conducted at Stockton includes sediment transport, tidal dynamics, seafloor mapping, water quality monitoring and cultural resource investigations.

"Stockton University is proud to be part of this partnership that expands hands-on opportunities for our students," said Amanda Norvell, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Stockton. "With direct access to advanced ocean technology and real-time data, our students can engage in meaningful research and fieldwork, helping prepare them to become the next generation of coastal scientists and innovators."

Scientists and students from Stockton University will partner with Rutgers on the LEO-15 program, through the Stockton Marine Field Station. The station occupies an 8-acre waterfront site in Port Republic with laboratories, teaching and office space, dockage and a fleet of research vessels.

Powered by solar and wind energy, the LEO-15 PowerBuoy® system is a compact, autonomous offshore platform built and designed by Ocean Power Technologies. Altogether, the buoy stands about as tall as a streetlight, but it has a small surface footprint suited for shallow-water research. Above the waves, a small, round platform holds solar panels, small wind turbines, weather instruments and real-time communication sensors, allowing the system to collect and send ocean data for long periods without the need for a large, fixed structure offshore.

The system also will provide additional ports for scientists and educators to deploy their own instruments. The buoy can support sensors that track weather, waves, water quality and other ocean conditions while serving as a test site for emerging marine technologies. Researchers, students and companies will be able to use the site to evaluate instruments, gather data and develop tools that could improve coastal monitoring, marine sustainability and storm preparedness.

The buoy was deployed May 2, renewing activity at a pioneering marine observatory site with deep roots in Rutgers-led coastal research.

The initiative is expected to create opportunities for workforce training, attract investment in ocean science and support startups and inventors working within the ocean economy, project leaders said.

By providing offshore infrastructure for testing and development, the project will give researchers, students and companies a place to evaluate sensors, communications systems and other marine technologies under real ocean conditions. That kind of access can help move promising ideas from the laboratory into the field, while preparing students for careers in coastal science, marine operations and the expanding blue economy.

The LEO program, originally known as LEO-15, was established in 1996 as a pioneering ocean observatory that delivered real-time data from two cabled seafloor platforms, or nodes. It supported research on storms, sediment transport, phytoplankton, fish ecology and broader coastal dynamics. The 15 refers to the site's depth of 15 meters, about 50 feet, where the observatory was installed.

LEO-15 was among the first systems in the world to integrate cabled observatories with autonomous underwater vehicles for coordinated data collection. The cabled seafloor nodes provided continuous measurements from fixed locations, while autonomous underwater vehicles could be sent through the surrounding water to collect data across a wider area. Used together, the fixed instruments and mobile vehicles gave scientists a fuller picture of changing coastal conditions than either approach could provide alone.

Rutgers scientists said the legacy of LEO-15 continued as ocean-observing technology advanced in the mid-2000s, with researchers increasingly combining fixed sensors, mobile underwater vehicles, satellite data and shore-based systems to study coastal change. The new wireless monitoring system builds on that history, revitalizing the site and extending its role as a testbed for coastal science and marine technology.

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