The Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) National Undersea Research Center, administered by the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences (IMCS) at Rutgers University, supports research to improve knowledge of processes governing change and stability in coastal and oceanic ecosystems. A primary goal of the MAB Center is to provide sensor and sampling networks to support long-term undersea research that strengthens the predictive capability of resource managers and decision-makers.

Highlights

• In 1996, MAB established the world’s first long-term ecosystem observatory. Situated on the continental shelf off N.J., the Long-term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO-15) provides a real-time interface with advanced samplers and sensors, enabling investigators to “plug in” instruments at guest ports, conduct and modify experiments remotely, and access real-time data remotely via the Internet. Key features of the system include delivery of physical and biological data from chemical, optical and acoustic sensors; interactive control of observational platforms; underwater video; hydrophones; and manipulative capability for conducting in situ experiments.
• Hallmark research on the fate and effects of deep sea waste disposal that redefined national waste management strategy
• Major studies on the effects of bottom trawling on tilefish communities that have informed stock
  management efforts
• Development of the REMUS autonomous undersea vehicle that has enabled investigators to conduct detailed transects of coastal ocean processes and features
• Creation of acclaimed education and outreach programs that capitalize on real-time data streams to enrich science education and enhance ocean literacy among youth