Last week, RUCOOL’s high frequency radar team proudly sent Tim to the University of Southern Mississippi for the 13th Radiowave Operators Working Group (ROWG) meeting. This event was a fantastic opportunity for Tim to meet and collaborate with many operators he had previously only interacted with virtually. The meeting was a significant milestone for the ROWG community, providing a platform to exchange knowledge and experiences with CODAR’s high-frequency radars while also discussing the future of HF radar during a transitionary period of the HF radar Data Access Center. Tim had aninvaluable opportunity to deepen his expertise, and discuss the latest advancements and applications in ocean observing technology amongst other HF radar operators. The Rutgers HF Radar team is eager to use what was learned at the meeting, and looks forward to implementing new ideas to enhance their research and operational capabilities!

The Rutgers 5 MHz HF radar station is operating again after a long hiatus. The site was taken down in 2021 to accommodate construction taking place at the site location. The data is flowing again to the Rutgers and National Data Assembly Centers. A walking pattern was conducted on the station the day after the install. Funding for the install was sponsored by MARACOOS, the Mid Atlantic Ocean Observing System. Thanks to Rutgers technician Ethan Handel, University of Massachusetts technician Patrick Pasteris and Professor Miles Sundermeyer for conducting the installation. We would also like to thank Lt. Brendan Coakley from the Nantucket Police Department who has served as our local point of contact for the past ten years.

Rutgers made bistatic High-Frequency radar (HFR) surface current measurements operational within their observatory last month.  Bistatic measurements offer several benefits for oceanographic and coastal applications: Increased coverage: Bistatic systems can cover larger areas compared to monostatic systems, as they use separate transmit and receive antennas, allowing for a wider coverage range. Improved resolution: Bistatic configurations can provide higher spatial resolution, which is useful for studying small-scale oceanographic features such as eddies, fronts, and coastal currents. Reduced clutter: Bistatic systems can help reduce clutter from unwanted reflections, such as those from the sea surface or nearby structures, resulting in cleaner current measurements. Enhanced accuracy: By using multiple receivers, bistatic systems can improve the accuracy of current measurements, particularly in regions with complex bathymetry or near coastal areas. Overall, bistatic HFR surface current measurements can provide a more comprehensive and detailed picture of ocean surface currents, benefiting a wide range of oceanographic and coastal research applications.

Students from the RUCOOL Masters in Operational Oceanography installed and configured a 5 MHz High Frequency radar in Sea Bright, NJ this past week.  The students installed the SeaSonde radar and configured the antenna pattern kit and communication router.  The data was flowing a few hours after they arrived.  This radar is being operated as part of the Mid Atlantic Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS). Rutgers would like to thank John Lamia and Joe Verruni from Sea Bright for providing access to the beach.

The 2023-2024 class of the Masters in Operational Oceanography program just completed the High Frequency Radar module of their Field Lab Methods course.  The week covered an introduction to oceanographic measurements with High Frequency radar and an overview of ocean observing for New Jersey and the Mid Atlantic.  The students made a field trip to the radar stations in Bradley Beach and Sea Bright, NJ.  Guest speakers for the course included Dr. Brian Emery from University of California Santa Barbara and Mr. Chad Whelan CEO of CODAR Ocean Sensors.  Thanks to Mr. Ethan Handel and Mr. Tim Stolarz who helped provide content to the course.

The agreement with Middlesex County Parks for the operation of a High Frequency radar system at Old Bridge Waterfront Park was renewed for another three years.  The radar has been in operation since 2015 and collects surface currents in Raritan Bay on an hourly basis.  Rutgers would like to thank Mr. Eric Gehring , Open Space Coordinator with the Office of Parks and Recreation for his help with the agreement and his continued partnership with the RUCOOL mission.

Mr. Jeff Frank returned to Rutgers this week to deliver four surface drifters that were constructed by students at the Career and Academic Development Institute of Philadelphia, PA.  The drifters are part of the Student Drifter Program and was sponsored through a grant by the Toshiba STEM grant program. Jeff delivered his first drifter to Rutgers in 2019 which was deployed in Raritan Bay.  That drifter was battery powered and transmitted data over a 1,400 km journey.  The new drifters are solar powered so hopefully they will provide even more data than the first drifter. Student Drifters is as an educational program for formal and informal learning. Educators can address multiple disciplines including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and customize their lesson plans with existing resources from simple concepts of latitude and longitude to complex studies of dispersion.