Rutgers installed a MARACOOS sponsored 13 MHz High Frequency radar in Holgate, NJ this past spring.  The property holder is Long Beach Township, a long partner in HF radar ocean observing.  This is the fourth HFR station the township has agreed to host.  The station is currently collecting surface current and wave information.  Special thanks go to Mr. Dustin Martin, Assistant Public Works Superintendent Long Beach Township, for helping to secure permission for the site installation. The data from this station will contribute to the 6 km and 2 km National Surface Current Products as well as the regional 2 km product found on MARACOOS OceansMap and at Rutgers University. The surface current measurements will be utilized by regional stakeholders to help advance the science around offshore wind and improve decision making.  The measurements will also be utilized by the US Coast Guard to plan their search and rescue operations.  The surface current data and predictions from HFR were requested 84 times in the Mid-Atlantic and 231 nationally for the month of July 2022.  The wave data from the station is being evaluated by NWS as a validation station for the Nearshore Wave Prediction System. The site was installed by Rutgers technician Mr. Ethan Handel and Masters of Operational Oceanography student Mr. Timothy Stolarz. For more information contact Rutgers Project Manager Hugh Roarty hroarty@marine.rutgers.edu

The water temperature off Atlantic City reached a record 83.8 degrees on the official government gauge Tuesday night, setting a record – and 28 degrees warmer than it was two weeks ago. Persistent winds from the south that cooked the region with intense heat July into August had a chilling effect on the Jersey Shore surf. Working in tandem with the spin of the Earth, the Coriolis force, they drove the warm layers near the surface offshore, allowing the colder water below to replace them, said Michael Crowley, with the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership. Full article at Philadelphia Inquirer

Congratulations, to Samantha Alaimo who has been selected to participate in the inaugural NJ Wind Institute Fellowship Program at Rutgers University. As a fellow, she will receive a stipend in the total amount of $30,000 in support of her research assistantship with Travis Miles and Josh Kohut. Sam applied as a MS student to GPO but have successfully transitioned to the PhD program. Our grad students (and their advisors) have had a great success in getting external awards.   Keep it going!

As part of our deep and enduring partnership, the U.S. Embassy Kolonia welcomed scientists from Rutgers University who are currently conducting a baseline assessment in support of Green Climate Fund-resilient food security for farming households across the FSM. The United States has contributed one billion dollars to date to the Green Climate Fund.

About the 2022 4‑H STEM Challenge Designed by Rutgers University, Explorers of the Deep, focuses on the mysteries and adventures of ocean exploration—with robots! Young people learn how to use science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to explore Earth’s Ocean and how it relates to all life on the planet. The 2022 Challenge helps young people develop observational and critical thinking skills while exploring the interconnected nature between the ocean and humans, regardless of where they live. They will learn about the incredibly complex relationship between Earth’s oceans and the global climate. According to a recent survey, 84 percent of teens would like to be involved with shaping the future of our environment. Explorers of the Deep can help empower young people to innovate and take action to drive positive change. More information can be found here.

Glider technicians, Nicole Waite and Kaycee Coleman, traveled to Sitka, AK last week to deploy glider RU26d. RU26d is our first deep glider with a pH sensor and will be out in the southeastern Gulf of Alaska through August collecting measurements on ocean pH. This deployment, led by Dr. Grace Saba, is part of a larger ocean acidification monitoring project and is funded by the Alaska Ocean Observation System (AOOS, https://aoos.org/). Our glider will supplement ocean acidification measurements in the region, in conjunction with a research cruise next month. Nicole and Kaycee were hosted by the Sitka Sound Science Center (https://sitkascience.org/) while they made final preparations to and deployed RU26d. While in Sitka, Nicole and Kaycee joined the local radio station, KCAW, to talk about the pH glider mission. They also hosted a meet and greet with the Sitka community to talk about RUCOOL, ocean acidification, and RU26d – where everyone was very excited for and welcoming to our cool ocean robot! You can listen to the full radio interview here: https://www.kcaw.org/2022/07/12/rutgers-university-to-deploy-ocean-acidification-observation-robot/

RUCOOL hosted LT. Shawn Antonelli from United States Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay on June 15, 2022. LT. Antonelli is the Command Center Chief for Sector Delaware Bay where he is the search and rescue mission coordinator for the sector. The United States Coast Guard answers approximately 45 search and rescue cases each day. Having the best environmental data to predict the trajectory of items lost at sea is of critical importance. Lt. Antonelli first received a briefing from Dr. Gerhard Kuska, Executive Director of MARACOOS. The conversation then focused on the development of offshore wind turbines in the Mid-Atlantic and how that will impact ocean observing as well as Coast Guard search and rescue operations. Dr. Hugh Roarty and Mr. Chris Shivock from Rutgers gave a presentation on the latest surface current products available to the Coast Guard for search and rescue. The meeting concluded with a goal to reconvene in the fall to discuss the DOPPIO ocean model and its relevance to Coast Guard operations. Pictured from left to right Lt. Shawn Antonelli, Dr. Hugh Roarty, Mr. Chris Shivock