Rutgers, Stockton Launch Deep-Sea Buoy 3 Miles Off Jersey Shore To Collect Ocean Data

JERSEY SHORE — In January, Rutgers and Stockton universities will launch a high-tech buoy three miles off the Jersey Shore; the buoy will send back ocean and storm data to Rutgers and Stockton scientists on shore.

This is a first-ever partnership between ocean scientists at the two colleges. Marine technology company Ocean Power Technologies Inc. is also involved in the launch of the buoy, and grant funding was provided by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

The teams will launch the buoy in early 2026 and it will be placed about three miles off the coast in Tuckerton. The buoy, called the PowerBuoy®, will serve as a floating data hub. Positioned above the waves, it has communications equipment and a weather station, enabling continuous monitoring and data transmission.

The PowerBuoy will be anchored at Rutgers' Long-Term Ecosystem observatory (LEO) site, which Rutgers built three miles out to sea in 1996. The LEO site is made up of two cabled seafloor platforms, or nodes, to deliver real-time ocean data to Rutgers researchers. The LEO site has given Rutgers researchers valuable information on storms, how sediment on the seafloor changes and moves, phytoplankton and fish ecology. The LEO research station is in waters about 50 feet deep, and was among the first systems in the world to integrate cabled observatories with autonomous underwater vehicles for data collection.

Yes, that means Rutgers teams have driven autonomous vehicles on the seafloor to collect data from the Atlantic Ocean.

“The PowerBuoy® is set to usher in a new era of marine and coastal research,” said Josh Kohut, a marine scientist and dean of research for the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. “And it will be a critical element in the rebirth of LEO.”

The data will be fed into a Rutgers research station in the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary, which is one of the most pristine estuaries on the East Coast. Stockton University, located in Galloway, also has its own marine field station, located on a tributary of the Mullica River about seven miles from Little Egg Inlet. Research that's been done at Stockton’s field station includes sediment transport, tidal dynamics, seafloor mapping and water quality monitoring.

Stockton U. also has a fleet of research vessels, including the R/V Petrel, a near-shore oceanographic workboat that will be used to access the LEO site three miles out to sea.

Steve Evert, director of Stockton's station, said the project will provide new insights into near shore ocean conditions.

“The proximity of LEO to Stockton’s programs creates incredible opportunities for students,” said Evert. “They’ll gain experience with hydrographic surveys and real-world applications of marine technology — skills that translate directly into workforce readiness.”

“Stockton’s capabilities will greatly complement Rutgers’ expertise in ocean observing technologies and help provide a complete picture of coastal ocean dynamics,” Kohut said.