Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences | Rutgers-New Brunswick

A New Age of Ocean Research

Rutgers Underwater Gliders Key to Environmental Stewardship
Photo: Rutgers' underwater robotic gliders are revolutionizing oceanography.

Rutgers' underwater robotic gliders are revolutionizing oceanography.

In the 1980s, satellites in space revolutionized oceanography by providing the first maps of the ocean surface. Now, Rutgers underwater robotic gliders are flying beneath the sea, again revolutionizing the field by producing three-dimensional maps of what lies below the waves.

Rutgers gliders operate in places like Antarctica, the Baltic Sea, and the coasts of Europe and Australia. They collect previously inaccessible data and do so at an unprecedented speed.

The data collected is used to understand better global warming, the behavior of hurricanes, and the effects of pollution on the ocean's ecosystems. These are all topics that are at the forefront of Rutgers' Climate and Environmental Change Initiative, which emphasizes long-term environmental sensing and stewardship.

Rutgers oceanographers, Scott Glenn and Oscar Schofield, along with their students, are pursuing three critically important "grand challenges." The first challenge is to fly a glider for great distances across the ocean, on underwater flights between states or countries. Secondly, Rutgers is designing gliders that will be able to fly directly into hurricanes. Most ships and aircraft divert around hurricanes, while unmanned systems can be flown directly into the storms. Finally, they are building fleets of smart interactive gliders.

Oceans regulate global warming, support food sources for millions of people, and represent the earth's final unexplored wilderness. These leading-edge research topics are at the forefront of Rutgers' Climate and Environmental Change Initiative.

Support Rutgers' Climate and Environmental Change Initiative by funding Rutgers gliders. Contact us for more information or visit the COOL Room.

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