With a storied past and an uncertain future, this tale of the relationship between a research vessel and her home port provokes speculation, but relies on science and planning for longevity. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Rutgers University’s Marine Field Station (RUMFS) was home to the 15 meter Longterm Ecosystem Observatory, a fiber optic cabled observatory appropriately dubbed LEO-15. A support vessel was needed for operations and maintenance, with capabilities to support deployment, recovery, and maintenance of the nodes and instrumentation, including surface-supplied diving activities. Enter the R/V Arabella – Rutgers’ flagship vessel at the time. For the next decade, R/V Arabella and RUMFS were inseparable aside from time spent at sea. Throughout this period, however, there was an unseen force working against them – typical estuarine physics exacerbated by climate change. Due in part to geologic processes such as glacial rebound and bolstered by global warming trends, sea level rise is slightly exaggerated in New Jersey when compared to the global average. The marsh that once protected the field station has eroded drastically, causing the long-standing 215 ft. USCG communications tower to be removed on November 14th, 2007.
With increased exposure to higher velocity tidal currents, naturally occurring sedimentation processes filled in the boat basin and access channel, rendering it impassable for larger vessels. R/V Arabella had been seemingly permanently separated from RUMFS, finding a new home at Viking Yachting Center for the better part of a decade. Throughout this duration, RUMFS weathered a number of major storms, including Superstorm Sandy, leaving the docks severely damaged. Several makeshift repairs brought the docks back to life, and an emergency dredging permit was obtained in 2018. With dredging completed in December of that year, R/V Arabella and RUMFS were reunited in May of 2019. Unfortunately, the homecoming was rather short-lived as rapid sedimentation once again rendered the mouth of the channel impassable for all but the smallest vessels. Fast forward to 2025 – after a series of permitting delays, dredging at RUMFS was completed in April, and R/V Arabella has once again returned to her rightful location, leading the charge for oceanographic research from her position in the boat basin at the marine field station. The answer to the uncertain future of this relationship lies with science in the form of coastal resilience, as a redesign of the basin and dockage is currently in process – spurred by the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy and forthcoming coastal resilience studies, recommendations, and resulting legislation. Perhaps quite fittingly, the R/V Resilience can be seen nestled alongside R/V Arabella in the boat basin. –Chip Haldeman
Welcome home, mighty Arabella – fair seas and following winds
