Vessels and Field Equipment
Stockton’s research vessel (R/V) fleet includes five workboats ranging in size from 16-36'. Each vessel provides a platform geared toward specific coastal science teaching and research activities. All vessels are maintained to standards set forth by the United States Coast Guard and are designated as Oceanographic Research Vessels.
Visiting scientists, firms, agencies and institutions are encouraged to contact us to discuss marine operations support of their research or educational needs. Stockton's marine operations team has a broad base of coastal science experience and can provide a variety of support throughout New Jersey coastal waters.
R/V Petrel
The 36' x 14' R/V Petrel was built in 2015 (SW Boatworks, Lamoine, ME and Jersey Cape Yachts, Lower Bank, NJ) to meet Stockton's expanding needs in marine survey and oceanography. The Petrel is a well-outfitted day trip survey vessel capable of deploying bottom mounted instruments, buoys and medium-sized towed sensors with its open transom and 10' clearance gantry. The wheelhouse of the Petrel provides a comfortable survey station for a variety of geotechnical and geophysical survey work and serves as a floating classroom for instructional purposes in the field of hydrography.
The R/V Rudy G. Arndt was built by Jennings Boatyard (Reedville, VA) and delivered to Stockton in March 2022. The "Rudy" as we call it is a 26' molded garvey hull, a shallow draft flat bottom boat with a chicken-breast entry. The Rudy is wide and stable and plenty capable of supporting estuarine studies.
The R/V Rudy G. Arndt was built in memory of Professor Emeritus Rudy G. Arndt, the "big guy" as many called him. Rudy's family provided the funding in his honor to make an impact on future generations of marine scientists coming through the halls of Stockton University. Dr. Arndt was one of the founding members of the marine science program at Stockton and a well published and well respected ichthyologist and herpetologist. We miss you Rudy.
R/V Osprey
The 24' x 8' R/V Osprey (Glass Boat Works, Exmore, VA) is named after the school's mascot - a coastal bird of prey and symbol of strength and agility in the coastal environment. This vessel provides an excellent platform for research and teaching activities throughout the river and bay systems.
The Osprey maintains the relatively shallow draft required of research in the estuary and is also used for shallow water survey work. The Osprey has a davit-winch system used to deploy bottom grabs, coring devices and water quality instruments.
R/V Skimmer/Scoter
Research vessels Scoter and Skimmer hail from our original fleet of 21' x 8' Privateers (Belhaven, NC) and are used extensively in to transport students to sampling sites throughout the coastal bays. These boats provide faculty and staff the ability to navigate shoal waters, accessing our many near-shore seining and marsh sites.
R/V Zostera
The R/V Zostera is perfect for shallow water estuarine work as well as for trailering to freshwater lakes and the upper reaches of tidal freshwater rivers.
The Zostera is available to faculty and students requiring small boat access to specific areas. It is stored on a trailer at the Marine Field Station and is available with a handheld GPS unit, safety equipment and oars.
Field Sampling Equipment
The Marine Field Station is responsible for housing and maintaining the majority of Stockton's coastal field sampling equipment. The hands-on teaching approach that exemplifies the science programs at Stockton offers considerable opportunities for students to become well trained on the use of standard and advanced equipment and instruments. This training provides our students with practical experience that, when coupled with a strong academic foundation, places them into competitive ranks for securing post-graduate positions or seeking advanced degrees.
EdgeTech 6205
Offers combined, fully integrated, swath bathymetry and side scan sonar systems that produce real-time high resolution three dimensional (3D) maps of the seafloor while providing both side scan and bathymetric data simultaneously.
Source:edgetech.com
EXO2 Multiparameter Sonde
Includes the versatile multiparameter EXO2 sonde for oceanographic, estuarine, or surface water applications.
Key Benefits
- High-accuracy sensors with on-board memory
- Wireless communications
- Seamless integration into marine, estuarine, freshwater and ground water monitoring systems
Smart Sondes and Sensors
Extremely versatile instrument, allowing the user to automatically configure a sonde
with different sensor for different applications in minutes.
Accuracy
Tested in a variety of rigorous field conditions as well as lab conditions to ensure
accuracy and response times
(Left) YSI EXO2 Multiparameter Sonde; (Right) Removeable smart sensors.
Monitor without Interruption
No matter which EXO sensors users select, other features of the sensors' design make
them rugged and durable:
- Wet-mateable connectors resist corrosion
- Isolated components prevent short circuits
- Welded housings and double o-rings prevent leaks
- High-impact plastic and titanium resists breaking
- Built-in antifouling systems protect data integrity.
- Low power consumption extends underwater deployment
Source: ysi.com
Hydrographic Survey
- RTK GPS navigation on R/V's
- Klein 3900 Side Scan Sonar
- Edgetech 6205 multibeam sonar
- R2Sonic 2024 multibeam sonar
- Marine Magnetics Explorer magnetometer
- ADCPs: Teledyne River Pro and Sentinel V
- Seabotix LBV300 Remotely Operated Vehicle
- NSF funded, DBI - 0959426
- Dynascan mobile LiDAR
- AML and YSI sound velocity profilers and CTDs
Klein System 3900 Digital Side Scan Sonar
Extremely highresolution, digital sonar for use in search and recovery missions that require a portable side scan system. The model is a selectable, dual-frequency system with 445 kHz, which offers excellent range and resolution, and 900 kHz, which offers higher resolution of identified targets.
Source:kleinmarinesystems.com
Marine Magnetics Explorer (Magnetometer)
- Inshore, shallow water work
- Offshore towed behind side scans, AUVs and ROVs.
- Inshore geophysical survey
- Archeology
- Wreck detention
- Magnetic mapping of harbours
- Ferrous target detection in lakes, rivers and estuaries
Explorer can be powered by a single car battery for up to 200 hours.
Source: marinemagnetics.com
Marine Science Laboratory
- 32 Workstations
- Dissecting and compound microscopes
- Video Microscope system with Image Capture
- Atomic Absorption Spectrometer
- Spectronic 20D Spectrophotometers
- Ro-Tap Sieve Shaker
- Drying ovens and furnaces
Nets and Dredges
- 10-100' Beach Seines
- 16' and 25' Otter Trawls
- Assorted Plankton Nets 49-500um
- Oyster Dredge
- Patent Tongs
Image: Osyter dredge (top).
R2 Sonic 2024 Multibeam Echosounder
The R2 Sonic 2024 MBES is coupled with an Applanix I2NS was funded through a National Science Foundation Award (OCE-2117693) and is used for high resolution sea floor mapping within then hydrography program courses and research programs
SeaBotix Remotely Operated Vechicle (ROV)
Includes a high-resolution color camera, depth and temperature settings. The standard lateral thruster allows for sideways flight and the ability to fight currents from any direction.
Includes scanning and navigation sonars (allowing for operation in zero-visibility waters), tracking systems, and a single-function manipulator with multiple attachments.
Features
- 300 meter (1,000ft) depth rating and tether
- lengths to 350 meters (1,150ft)
- 5 Powerful brushless DC thrusters with individual oil-compensators
- 4-axis maneuverability including dual vertical
- thruster configuration
- Ultra small diameter high strength, durable, low drag tether
- Crystal clear video and high resolution low light color camera
- 270º range of view with high intensity LED array tracking camera
- Patented hull crawling skid option for increased capability in currents up to 5 knots
- Extensive range of options including laser scaling, grabber, zoom, LED lighting and more
Source:ocean-innovations.net
Sediment Sampler
Other sediment sampling equipment:
- Ponar Grab Sampler
- Wildco Corer
- Vibracorer
- Stacking Seives/Shaker
- Box Seives
Photo:Young-Modified VanVeen Grab Sampler (left).
SonTek Castaway - CTD
The CastAway-CTD is a small, rugged and technically advanced CTD designed for profiling to depths of up to 100m. The system incorporates modern technical features which allow it to achieve a 5 Hz response time, fine spatial resolution and high accuracy. It uses a six electrode flow-through conductivity cell with zero external field coupled with a rapid response thermistor to attain high measurement accuracies.
Plots of conductivity, temperature, salinity and sound speed versus depth can be viewed immediately on the CastAway's integrated color LCD screen in the field. Raw data can be easily downloaded via Bluetooth to a Windows computer for detailed analysis and /or export at any time.
Source:sontek.com/castaway-ctd
Instrumentation used in the 2019 3rd place NAMS symposium Tidal Variability of estuarine circulation in Little Egg Inlet
AbstractTeledyne Marine RiverPro ADCP
The 1200 kHz RiverPro provides an ADCP designed specifically for shallow river applications (20 cm to 25 m range) and provides an upgrade path for our current industry gold-standard Rio Grande ADCP users.
Key Features
- A 20-degree beam, allowing users to collect data closer to the bottom
- A 600 kHz 5th beam collects true vertical velocity with a calibrated RSSI (return signal strength indicator) and range to bottom
- Fully integrated GPS for geo-referencing
- Auto-adaptive sampling, which quickly provides accurate discharge measurements without the need for user configuration
- A manual override, which allows advanced users the ability to fully customize their system setting as an alternative to auto-adaptive sampling.
Source:teledynemarine.com/riverpro-adcp
Instrumentation used in the 2019 3rd place NAMS symposium Tidal Variability of estuarine circulation in Little Egg Inlet
AbstractTeledyne Marine Sentinel V Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)
The lightweight and adaptable Sentinel V is easily deployed on buoys or mounted on the seafloor. Real-time data can be transmitted to shore via a cable link or acoustic modem, or data can be stored internally for short or long-term deployments. With a pressure sensor delivered standard in Sentinel V, this highly versatile tool can be easily upgraded via an electronic firmware update to calculate directional and non-directional wave parameters.
An integrated 5th beam provides a direct vertical velocity measurement and a 5th range to the surface measurement, allowing for enhanced turbulence and waves measurement capabilities.
- Measure vertical velocity profile
- Measure high-resolution echo intensity profile
- Measure range to the surface
- Allows turbulence measurements
- Allows error velocity validation with 3 beam solutions
- Allows redundant error velocity validation with 4 beams
- Allows robust zero-up waves parameter
Source: ocean-innovations.net
