Rutgers scientists use unmanned vessel to comb sea bottom

Today, REMUS was directed to map several acres of the bay near Fort Hancock and a nearby cove to observe fish habitats. The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, headquartered in Tuckerton and managed by Rutgers, decided to use the event as a teaching experience by inviting students from Neptune Middle School, the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) in Manahawkin and the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) at Sandy Hook.

The students watched as Joe Dobarro, director of underwater operations at Rutgers, and Rose Petrecca, director of marine operations at the university, stood in the frigid bay to launch REMUS [Remote Environmental Monitoring Units]. Then, Douglas Levin, habitat specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, took them inside to help them build a prototype from PVC pipe, plastic cosmetic containers, computer fans and stereo speaker wire.

Ana Rubio, Emily Millaway and Amie Wuchter, all 11-year-old sixth graders at Neptune Middle School, thought they had theirs working until Levin pointed out their operating switches didn’t correspond to the appropriate propellers. Their MATES mentor, Priya Uppal, 15, of Bayville, encouraged them to make some changes.

Amie said she initially was intimidated by the task. But her opinion changed halfway through the project. “Now that I’m doing it, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be,” she said.

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