SEAMLESS NETWORK CONCEPT SPURS USE OF REMUS IN ENVIRONMENTAL DATA GATHERING FOR DOCK-SITE PLANNING AT SANDY HOOK (NJ), GATEWAY NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NPS

Summary: Plans to construct a ferry dock at the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area provided the basis for an interaction among the National Park Service, NOAA, and Rutgers University under the auspices of a seamless network concept aimed atfacilitating partnerships to enhance marine resource management. Rutgers deployed its autonomous underwater vehicle, REMUS, to collect a suite of environmental information at the proposed dock site. Planning for the REMUS mission, including an educational componentfor middle and high school students, was led by the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve and involved a broad collaboration of federal agency and university personnel with research, management, and education expertise.Part of the NOAA National Undersea Research Program and administered by the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University, REMUS is one of the undersea research platforms provided by the Mid-Atlantic Bight Center for supporting research in waters ofthe Mid-Atlantic Region. Outcomes of the mission include side-scan sonar high-resolution imagery of bottom features covering the entire survey area; water parameters, such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen; and depth and altitude measurements, providing forbathymetric reconstruction of the underwater topography.

Norbert P. Psuty1*, Barry Sullivan2, Lisa Auermuller3, Mark Christiano2, Michael DeLuca1, Joseph Dobarro2, Tom Grothues1, Charles T. Roman2, and Tanya M. Silveira1

Seamless InitiativesThe JC NERR worked with the Mid-Atlantic Bight National Undersea Research Center, NOAA, NPS, and the NJ Sea Grant as part of a Seamless Networkpartnership in a demonstration project developed to create a benthic habitat map for the Sandy Hook component of the Gateway National Recreation Area using anautonomous undersea vehicle.With the assistance of Rutgers AUV team, the REMUS underwater robot was used to produce a baseline map of submerged habitat and cultural resources to supportmanagement needs of several agencies for the coastal area adjacent to Sandy Hook, the site of Gateway National Recreation Area.REMUS is equipped with two Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), two side-scan sonars, a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensor, and a Dissolved Oxygensensor. The data is analyzed in GIS environment, allowing the visualization of a number of environmental parameters.

1 Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 2 National Park Service 2 Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve * psuty@marine.rutgers.edu

Final ConsiderationsThe JC NERR, reserve staff and partners have begun to conduct pilot projectsthat demonstrate how collaborative activities can meet mutual information needson behalf of protected area management.Utilization of the REMUS vehicle represents an initial cooperative effort underthe newly-conceived NY/NJ Bight seamless network concept and itdemonstrates the positive role of institutional leadership in fostering teamworktoward a common objective.This project also provided a mechanism for scientists, managers, and educatorsto collaborate on education and outreach activities.

Education & OutreachAs part of the project, an educational component was created in which studentswatched the deployment and recovery of REMUS, participated in a Side Scan101 presentation and designed, built and launched a working ROV as part of anactivity called "ROV's in a Bucket". One sixth grade MARE class was involvedas well as 12 high school students from the MATES and MAST Academies.

Oxygen Saturation

Salinity

Temperature

Bathymetry

Side-scan sonar imagery

1Km

study area