Ximing Guo (right) and Sam Ratcliff examined selective bred oysters at Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory. Photo credit: Micah Seidel.

New varieties of oysters that have become an important part of the global aquaculture industry have earned Rutgers researcher Ximing Guo a 2026 Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey (RDNJ). Guo’s invention is one of two Rutgers innovations recognized this year with the state’s highest honor for inventors and innovation.

Guo, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, received the Aquaculture Award for his patent, Molluscan Shellfish Produced by Controlled Crossbreeding (U.S. Patent No. 11,266,131). Conducting research at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Guo has developed new oyster varieties for aquaculture in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States with improved disease resistance, growth, and genetic diversity. The resulting oysters are more uniform, faster growing, healthier, and better suited to commercial production.

Distinguished Professor Ximing Guo.

“It is deeply rewarding to see the breeding technologies developed at Rutgers contributing to oyster farming across the U.S. and around the world,” said Guo. “Oysters are remarkable organisms, valued not only as a premium seafood but also for the essential ecological services they provide. They face many diseases, and disease resistance is the single most important trait for oyster aquaculture and is critical for the restoration of natural populations devastated by disease. I remain grateful to the many students and colleagues whose dedication and expertise have shaped our breeding program over the years.”

Guo’s patented breeding technology has helped advance oyster farming both in the United States and internationally by addressing disease resistance, one of the industry’s greatest challenges, while improving productivity and supporting the restoration of natural oyster populations.

Also receiving a 2026 Edison Patent Award is a Rutgers School of Engineering research team for developing structural plastic lumber made from recycled plastics, including milk containers, coffee cups, and plastic bottles. The durable material has been used to manufacture approximately 1.5 million railway ties in the United States, diverting an estimated 300 million pounds of plastic from landfills and oceans.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that two Rutgers research teams have received Edison Patent Awards. The Rutgers researchers will be honored alongside this year’s other recipients during the RDNJ awards ceremony and banquet in November.

Now in its 47th year, the Edison Patent Awards recognize outstanding patented innovations developed in New Jersey across 12 categories. Named for Thomas Edison, the awards celebrate research that demonstrates significant scientific achievement, originality, commercial impact, and societal benefit.

R&D Council board members selected the winners after evaluating nominated patents for the significance of the problem addressed, utility and socioeconomic value, novelty, and commercial impact. At least part of the scientific or technical work supporting each winning patent must have been completed in New Jersey.

The Rutgers Office for Research supported both award-winning teams through its Technology Transfer unit, assisting with patent protection, licensing, and nominations for the 2026 Edison Patent Awards. To learn more about the Rutgers technology transfer process, visit innovate.rutgers.edu.

Read the full story about both Rutgers inventions on the Rutgers Office for Research website.

  

Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) will serve as the shipboard laboratory for a 25-day Atlantic expedition in which Rutgers-led researchers will collect water samples, deploy instruments and study how small-scale ocean mixing may affect marine life and carbon movement. Misha Vallejo Prut / Schmidt Ocean Institute

Rutgers researchers will study small ocean processes with big consequences 

At sea, their days will begin in darkness.

Before dawn, Rutgers oceanographers Joe Gradone and Corday Selden expect to be on deck aboard the research vessel Falkor (too), preparing instruments, reviewing data and directing the first collection of water samples of the day.

Related: Read more about the scientists leading the mission

Gradone and Selden will serve as co-chief scientists on a 25-day expedition in the Atlantic Ocean supported by Schmidt Ocean Institute. Departing from Bridgetown, Barbados, on Aug. 9, the international research team will study salt finger mixing, a subtle form of ocean mixing that may influence marine life, ocean chemistry and the movement of carbon through the sea.

Oceanographers Joe Gradone (at left) and Corday Selden will serve as co-chief scientists on a 25-day Atlantic research expedition aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too).

The work will require a demanding shipboard rhythm.

Gradone and Selden expect to be on deck by about 3 a.m. as the ship approaches the first major sampling location of the day. Before dawn, the team will prepare instruments, lower equipment into the ocean and begin collecting information from below the surface.

At full sampling stations, a carousel of bottles will descend through the water. As measurements appear on a screen, Selden and other scientists will decide the depths at which those bottles should close.

When the device returns, teams will divide the water for experiments measuring photosynthesis, nutrients and the condition of microscopic marine organisms. Other researchers will collect zooplankton, tiny organisms that graze on marine plants.

After breakfast, the sequence will begin again. A third major station will follow in the afternoon. Smaller teams will continue taking measurements through the night.

Most days will preserve this rhythm. During two especially demanding 48-hour studies, the ship will remain in place while scientists conduct large experiments involving many bottles, extensive water sampling and repeated net tows.

“It’s a big lift,” said Selden, who meant that literally as well as scientifically.

The demanding schedule is designed to help the team capture changes in the ocean that cannot be detected from the surface.

The team will travel along a line of sampling locations stretching from west to east across part of the Atlantic. 

An autonomous glider sent ahead of the ship will function as a scout, recording temperature and salinity and helping the team decide where the most revealing measurements might be found.

The scientists have 25 days to find those conditions, measure them and connect their physical structure with changes in ocean physics, chemistry and life. Their first task will be to determine, while still at sea, whether they are seeing the range of salt finger mixing conditions they set out to study.

Ashley Hann, a doctoral student in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and a member of the research team sailing aboard the R/V Falkor (too), takes a break from packing equipment for the expedition. She sits on a box containing an Imaging FlowCytobot, an instrument used to study microscopic marine life. Photo: Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

Some decisions will be made in the moment, as profiles from the water column appear on shipboard screens. Those real-time readings can help the team decide where to sample next or whether to work with the ship’s crew to adjust course.

Other findings will emerge only after the cruise ends. Some samples must survive the voyage, be transported to New Jersey and undergo laboratory analysis before the scientists know what they contain. Only one previous scientific paper has directly examined the connection between salt finger mixing and chemistry in a similar way, Gradone said.

The Rutgers-led expedition will attempt something more comprehensive by bringing physical oceanographers, chemists and biologists together at a much finer scale. Their observations may eventually help improve models of how the ocean supports biological growth and stores carbon.

The shipboard schedule will become a training ground. Students won’t simply watch the work: They will be responsible for parts of it.

For Gradone, one of the lessons of going to sea is that field science rarely unfolds cleanly.

“Problems, failures, issues, they’re all like the norm,” said Gradone, adding that he wants students to become comfortable adapting when plans change, instruments falter or unexpected problems arise.

“Things go wrong,” he said. “We’ll figure it out.”

Selden said that same process of adapting under pressure can become a turning point for students, especially when they begin to see themselves not as helpers, but as scientists responsible for a piece of the larger effort. 

“One of the most rewarding parts of shipboard science is watching students come fully into their responsibilities,” she said. “Everybody gets to own a part of the mission, and you can see their confidence grow as they come into their role.”

Gradone plans to end his days by reading at least a few pages of nonfiction, a practice he adopted while finishing his doctorate. Reading something outside science, he said, helps turn off the part of his mind still working through problems.

Selden expects the ship itself to help her sleep. The bunks become completely dark, and on calmer nights the motion of the vessel can be soothing. She may listen to music or an audiobook. On deck, when time permits, she likes to read.

Both will try to remain connected to families at home. Selden’s daughter will still be an infant when the voyage begins. Gradone has a toddler son. Satellite connections should make video calls possible, offering a link between the highly regulated world of steel-toed boots, hard hats and overnight watches and the lives continuing on shore.

Gradone described the scientific side of the voyage as potentially life changing. The family side, he said, is “a whole other ball game.”

The work requires a ship built for complex ocean science. Schmidt Ocean Institute, founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, supports ocean research by providing selected scientists with access to advanced shipboard tools, technical staff and time at sea. Its 363-foot research vessel, the R/V Falkor (too), gives the Rutgers-led team access to laboratories, instruments and onboard support needed to collect and process data far from shore. 

The opportunity also gives Rutgers students a role in research that few people at any career stage experience. It puts Gradone and Selden in charge of decisions whose consequences will unfold hour by hour at sea.

Gradone draws confidence from knowing that responsibility will be shared among people accustomed to solving problems together.

“I’m not afraid of making mistakes,” he said. “I feel like we have a great support system to bounce ideas off of.”

When the R/V Falkor (too) leaves Bridgetown, Gradone and Selden will be the co-chief scientists. They also will remain part of a scientific community that has prepared them for this moment.

“You can’t do this kind of thing by yourself,” Selden said. “There’s just no way.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

  

Oceanographers Joe Gradone (at left) and Corday Selden will serve as co-chief scientists on a 25-day Atlantic research expedition aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too).

Two early-career scientists will lead an international team on a 25-day expedition in the Atlantic Ocean 

Oceanographers Joe Gradone GSNB’25 and Corday Selden are preparing to step into the most consequential assignment of their careers so far.

Corday Selden, an assistant professor in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, brings expertise in biological and chemical sampling to the expedition, helping connect ocean mixing with marine life and chemistry. Photo: Luca Mostello

On Aug. 7, they will board the research vessel Falkor (too) in Bridgetown, Barbados. Two days later, the ship will leave port, carrying Gradone and Selden into the Atlantic Ocean as co-chief scientists leading an international team of 19 scientists on a 25-day research expedition.

Related: Inside the science at sea

The voyage is being made possible by Schmidt Ocean Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to oceanographic research that operates the 363-foot R/V Falkor (too) as a global platform for ocean science. Through a competitive selection process, the institute provides researchers with access to ship time, advanced technology, and technical support at no cost.

For Rutgers, the result is a rare opportunity: Two early-career oceanographers will lead an international team aboard a vessel equipped for ambitious, round-the-clock science. The ship carries eight laboratories, advanced sonar systems and high-performance computing capacity, allowing researchers to collect, process and interpret data while working far from shore.

“Schmidt Ocean Institute’s support gives Rutgers scientists and students access to extraordinary shipboard capabilities,” said Josh Kohut, dean of research at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and director of research at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. “For Joe Gradone and Corday Selden, this expedition is both a major scientific opportunity and a defining career moment as they lead an international team studying processes that are difficult to observe but essential to understanding the ocean and its global reach.”

Joe Gradone, an assistant research professor in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, studies physical oceanography and autonomous ocean platforms, including gliders that help scientists observe conditions beneath the ocean surface. Photo: Luca Mostello

The expedition will be Gradone and Selden’s first as chief scientists. Gradone, who graduated from Rutgers with a doctoral degree in Oceanography, is an assistant research professor, and Selden is an assistant professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at the school. Together, they will plan daily science operations and manage dozens of interconnected research projects aboard a vessel moving through a changing sea.

Their partnership brings together distinct but closely connected areas of expertise. Gradone’s work centers on physical oceanography and autonomous platforms, including robotic ocean gliders that help scientists observe the ocean beneath the surface. Selden brings expertise in the biological and chemical sampling that will occupy much of the team’s time at sea. Together, they are trying to connect the ocean’s fine-scale physical structure with its chemistry and biology.

That combination will matter once the ship reaches the open ocean. The scientists will be studying a form of mixing called salt finger mixing, which occurs when water layers with different temperatures and salt levels interact. These small-scale movements may influence marine life, ocean chemistry and the movement of carbon through the sea.

The goal is to capture a range of those mixing conditions and understand how ocean circulation impacts mixing and, in turn, how it affects the living ocean.

“Do we capture the spectrum in salt finger mixing that we’re trying to capture?” Selden said, describing one of the central measures of success.

Some of that answer will come in real time. Instruments lowered into the water will send back information that can help the scientists decide where to sample next. If the team isn’t seeing what they hoped to find, they will work with the ship’s crew to adjust course.

“We’ll know that while we’re on the ship,” Selden said.

R/V Falkor (too) sails the South Pacific off the coast of Chile during a research expedition. Photo: Misha Vallejo Prut/ Schmidt Ocean Institute

Other answers will take longer. Some samples must survive the voyage, return to shore and undergo laboratory analysis before the scientists know what they contain. That delay is part of what makes ocean research both powerful and precarious.

Selden has experienced the risk before. She has been at sea when a freezer malfunctioned and samples were lost. She has seen samples contaminated or destroyed when an instrument failed.

“You can’t get them back once they’re gone,” she said.

Gradone knows a different version of such uncertainty. His work often involves sending autonomous platforms into the ocean and waiting for them to return.

“The ocean has a way of keeping what you send into it, that’s just the nature of the work,” he said. “I kind of jokingly, with gliders, say that, so far, my number of deployments equals my number of recoveries, and I probably just jinxed it by saying so. Knocking on wood it holds until we get the data we’re after this summer.”

The expedition will require scientific judgment, logistical endurance and a tolerance for uncertainty. 

For Gradone, the emotional weight of that responsibility is clear. When he imagines the ship leaving Barbados and turning toward the first research station, the feeling isn’t merely excitement.

“It’s awe,” he said.

He described the moment as a mixture of “anxiety,” “responsibility” and “gratitude.”

An aerial view of equipment stored in the Seawater Lab at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The gear shown represents most of the 10,112 pounds of equipment being shipped for the upcoming Atlantic research expedition aboard the R/V Falkor (too). Photo: Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

The scale of the task has become clearer as departure approaches. So has the importance of the people joining them.

The Rutgers group includes Gradone, Selden and oceanographer Travis Miles, along with doctoral students and technical staff. Other members of the party will contribute expertise in physical oceanography, marine biology, chemistry and zooplankton ecology.

Some are former advisers and long-time collaborators. Others are scientists at earlier stages of their careers whom Gradone and Selden are helping to train.

Selden sees the expedition as an expression of a distinctive culture within Rutgers oceanography.

Senior researchers actively support scientists at earlier stages of their careers. Former students become colleagues. Academic relationships continue across multiple generations. She herself first arrived at Rutgers as a postdoctoral researcher, ultimately earning a spot in the Presidential Postdoctoral Program.

Gradone entered Rutgers as a doctoral student of Miles, who had once been a student of Rutgers oceanographer Kohut. Selden’s own professional network aboard the cruise will include a former doctoral adviser with whom she has already completed several voyages.

The resulting department feels “familial,” Selden said, particularly at moments when an instrument fails or a plan must change quickly.

“You have a team that you trust,” she said, “because they’re people who just really, honestly, in a non-self-interested way want to help support you.”

The expedition arrives during what Selden calls a “building phase” in both of their lives. They are establishing laboratories, choosing research directions and deciding what kind of colleagues and mentors they want to become.

“This project is very important for both of us,” Selden said. “This is going to be a big component for both of us as we’re moving forward, establishing ourselves.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

  

The LEO-15 research buoy, newly deployed in the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to bring forth a new era of ocean research, education and marine innovation in New Jersey. Photo: Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL)

A compact offshore research platform has been deployed off the Jersey Shore, revitalizing the historic Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO) site and advancing a new era of ocean research, education and marine innovation in New Jersey.

The Rutgers Marine Field Station will play a central role in research operations associated with the LEO-15 program. Photo: Rutgers University

Anchored about three miles offshore of the Rutgers Marine Field Station in Tuckerton, N.J., the platform, known as the PowerBuoy®, serves as a floating data hub that delivers real-time information on ocean conditions while supporting scientific instruments, education initiatives and emerging marine technologies.

“The PowerBuoy will help unlock significant opportunities for marine research, scientific discovery and economic growth, all of which will advance New Jersey’s innovation future,” said Evan Weiss, chief executive of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. “Under the leadership of Governor Mikie Sherrill, the NJEDA is proud to partner with Rutgers University and Stockton University to grow our green economy and position New Jersey as a national leader in sustainable technology.”

The deployment marks a major milestone in a collaborative effort among Rutgers University, Stockton University, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and Ocean Power Technologies Inc., a publicly traded, Monroe Township, N.J.-based provider of maritime technology and services. Together, the partners aim to position New Jersey as a leader in sustainable marine innovation while delivering tangible benefits for research, workforce development and economic growth.

Along the coast, scientists and researchers at two marine field stations will provide logistical and research support for the facility. The Rutgers Marine Field Station is located within the Mullica River-Great Bay estuary, one of the most pristine estuaries on the East Coast. Researchers there focus on fish ecology, coastal impacts and storm-related environmental change. Data from the offshore buoy will complement long-term estuarine observations, creating a more comprehensive understanding of coastal dynamics.

“The Rutgers Marine Field Station has long supported scientists working to understand the dynamic coastal environments and fisheries that define New Jersey,” said Thomas Grothues, director of the Rutgers Marine Field Station. “The revitalized LEO observatory extends that work from the estuary to the coastal ocean. By linking long-term observations near shore with new data from offshore, we can better study how fish, habitats, storms and changing marine conditions interact.”

In Port Republic, N.J., the Stockton Marine Field Station occupies an 8-acre waterfront site with laboratories, teaching and office space, dockage and a fleet of research vessels such as the R/V Petrel, which will support access to the LEO site. Research conducted at Stockton includes sediment transport, tidal dynamics, seafloor mapping, water quality monitoring and cultural resource investigations.

“Stockton University is proud to be part of this partnership that expands hands-on opportunities for our students,” said Amanda Norvell, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Stockton. “With direct access to advanced ocean technology and real-time data, our students can engage in meaningful research and fieldwork, helping prepare them to become the next generation of coastal scientists and innovators.”

Scientists and students from Stockton University will partner with Rutgers on the LEO-15 program, through the Stockton Marine Field Station. The station occupies an 8-acre waterfront site in Port Republic with laboratories, teaching and office space, dockage and a fleet of research vessels. Photo: Stockton University

Powered by solar and wind energy, the LEO-15 PowerBuoy® system is a compact, autonomous offshore platform built and designed by Ocean Power Technologies. Altogether, the buoy stands about as tall as a streetlight, but it has a small surface footprint suited for shallow-water research. Above the waves, a small, round platform holds solar panels, small wind turbines, weather instruments and real-time communication sensors, allowing the system to collect and send ocean data for long periods without the need for a large, fixed structure offshore. 

The system also will provide additional ports for scientists and educators to deploy their own instruments. The buoy can support sensors that track weather, waves, water quality and other ocean conditions while serving as a test site for emerging marine technologies. Researchers, students and companies will be able to use the site to evaluate instruments, gather data and develop tools that could improve coastal monitoring, marine sustainability and storm preparedness.

The buoy was deployed May 2, renewing activity at a pioneering marine observatory site with deep roots in Rutgers-led coastal research.

The initiative is expected to create opportunities for workforce training, attract investment in ocean science and support startups and inventors working within the ocean economy, project leaders said. 

By providing offshore infrastructure for testing and development, the project will give researchers, students and companies a place to evaluate sensors, communications systems and other marine technologies under real ocean conditions. That kind of access can help move promising ideas from the laboratory into the field, while preparing students for careers in coastal science, marine operations and the expanding blue economy.

The LEO program, originally known as LEO-15, was established in 1996 as a pioneering ocean observatory that delivered real-time data from two cabled seafloor platforms, or nodes. It supported research on storms, sediment transport, phytoplankton, fish ecology and broader coastal dynamics. The 15 refers to the site’s depth of 15 meters, about 50 feet, where the observatory was installed.

LEO-15 was among the first systems in the world to integrate cabled observatories with autonomous underwater vehicles for coordinated data collection. The cabled seafloor nodes provided continuous measurements from fixed locations, while autonomous underwater vehicles could be sent through the surrounding water to collect data across a wider area. Used together, the fixed instruments and mobile vehicles gave scientists a fuller picture of changing coastal conditions than either approach could provide alone.

Rutgers scientists said the legacy of LEO-15 continued as ocean-observing technology advanced in the mid-2000s, with researchers increasingly combining fixed sensors, mobile underwater vehicles, satellite data and shore-based systems to study coastal change. The new wireless monitoring system builds on that history, revitalizing the site and extending its role as a testbed for coastal science and marine technology.

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

  

Tiny plant-like organisms (phytoplankton) living in the ocean waters around Antarctica are changing the way they handle sunlight — and the reason why reveals just how much climate change is reshaping one of Earth’s most remote ecosystems.

A new study published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography found that over the past 27 years, microscopic plant-like organisms from the ocean called phytoplankton along the West Antarctic Peninsula have dramatically increased their production of “sunscreen” pigments — special protective compounds that shield the cells from too much light that can damage these cells. The cellular concentration of protective pigments roughly doubled between the 1990s and late 2010s.

Oscar Schofield, professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is a co-author on the study.

So, what’s driving this change? Phytoplankton live in the upper layers of the ocean called the mixed layer where there is sufficient light for these tiny plants to grow. When the mixed layer is deep then there is less light as deep mixing results in the cells spending time in dark waters. As the climate warms, the mixed layer has been getting shallower. When that layer shrinks, these tiny organisms spend more time exposed to brighter sunlight — so they adjust their biology to cope. Using the data collected from the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research program, the authors determined that increased production in “sunscreen” pigments is due to their changing ecosystem.  

 “This biological shift in these plants reflects changes in the ocean in response to climate change that is warming this polar region.  The changes being observed at the base of food web has significant implications for ecology for this productivity oceanic region,” said Schofield.

These findings have food web implications. Phytoplankton are the foundation of the Antarctic food chain, supporting krill, fish, penguins, and whales. Shifts in which types of phytoplankton thrive, and how productive they are, ripples upward through the entire ecosystem.

As phytoplankton received more light, they also became more productive — meaning they will increase in number. As a result, phytoplankton have been able to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere into the ocean due to their photosynthesis. That matters because the Southern Ocean plays an outsized role in soaking up the world’s carbon dioxide. Phytoplankton play a key role in this process and understanding how it’s changing is critical for predicting how the ocean will respond to continued warming.

The data, collected annually by the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research program, provides a rare >25-year window into how a warming climate is reshaping polar ocean life in real time — the kind of long-term record that is essential for informing science-based policy decisions about ocean and climate health.

You can read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70324

This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Kenneth Tam, and was reviewed by Oscar Schofield, a co-author on the study.

  

Image by Alexmar, licensed via Adobe Stock (Education License)

To understand how Earth’s climate is changing, we first need to understand how it has changed before. One of the best tools for doing that sits at the bottom of the ocean — tiny, fossilized shells of microscopic, single celled creatures called foraminifera. A new study published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology takes a closer look at how reliably these shells can tell us about ancient ocean temperatures, specifically in the Indian Ocean.

Elisabeth Sikes, professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and an affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is a co-author on the study alongside lead author Ryan Glaubke, a PhD student in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, and colleagues from the University of Maine and Old Dominion University.

When foraminifera are alive, the ratio of magnesium to calcium in their shells changes with water temperature. After they die and sink to the seafloor, those shells preserve a record in their shell chemistry of ocean conditions was like when they were alive — like a natural thermometer frozen in time. But the tool only works well if we know exactly how to read it, and that depends on having accurate “calibration” equations — essentially, conversion charts that translate shell chemistry into temperature.

The authors analyzed shells from 115 locations across the Indian Ocean to build and test these calibration equations for four species of foraminifera. Their key finding: for the two species studied, a simple linear relationship to temperature works best. More complex equations that also account for ocean acidity or salt content didn’t improve the results enough to justify their added complexity.

“More accurate calibrations based on empirical data mean better reconstructions of past ocean temperatures, and that’s directly useful for climate modeling. If we can more precisely portray how the Indian Ocean has warmed and cooled over thousands of years, we can better test and refine the climate models that inform today’s policy decisions.”, said Sikes

The Indian Ocean is a major driver of global weather patterns, including monsoons that affect billions of people. More accurate records of how that ocean has behaved in the past can sharpen our predictions about how it — and the climate system as a whole — may behave in the future.

You can read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113190

This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Kenneth Tam, and was reviewed by Elisabeth Sikes, a co-author on the study.

  

From left: Shea Cinquemani, Emory Barrett and Esha Nauman.

Three Rutgers undergraduates achieved first-author status in peer-reviewed journals, transforming their marine science class projects into published research before graduation.

The work grew out of a course taught by Richard Lutz, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences within the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and a renowned oceanographer known for his research on hydrothermal vents. These sunless, deep-sea ecosystems, fueled by geochemical energy, offer insights into Earth’s origins and guide the search for extraterrestrial life.

In his “Hydrothermal Vents” course, Lutz assigns each student a scientific paper to expand into a comprehensive review. The exercise requires students to engage deeply with the research and think and write as scientists, synthesizing findings across the field.

“Normally, I spend four to five hours grading each paper, and there’s a lot of red ink,” said Lutz, who has taught the course for nearly three decades.

Most papers stop at the final grade – but three continued beyond the classroom.

Esha Nauman, a cell biology and neuroscience major with a minor in marine science, examined hydrothermal vents to better understand the biological limits of life and the increasing threats from deep-sea activity, including fracking. Her paper was published in Oceans in January 2026.

Nauman, who graduated in 2025 and is from Basking Ridge, New Jersey is now working as a medical scribe at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital while awaiting decisions on her medical school applications.

The publication process, Nauman said, changed how she approaches feedback and revision.

“Reviewers go line by line, and you have to justify everything,” she said. “Dr. Lutz guided me throughout the process and gave me direction, especially when I wasn’t sure where to go.”

Learning to accept criticism was part of that process.

“It taught me to be open-minded, especially when it comes to constructive criticism,” she said. “As a doctor, you’re going to get feedback from residents, attendings, even patients. It’s important to be receptive and not take it personally. It made me a stronger writer.”

Shea Cinquemani’s project pushed her into unfamiliar territory. Her paper, published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering March 2026, examined how asteroid impacts on early Earth may have created “hydrothermal cradles” capable of supporting the emergence of life. 

The work drew on data from sites such as the Chicxulub crater, showing how impact-generated heat sustained freshwater vent systems that provided the chemicals and energy for early life. 

“My assignment was to investigate whether hydrothermal vents on Mars could have sparked life,” she said. “At first, I knew nothing about the topic and wasn’t certain how to even begin.”

She expanded the class assignment into a paper that went through months of peer review, extending beyond her graduation in May 2025, with the final version published the following year. The research was later published in the science section of Popular Mechanics.

Cinquemani, a native of Frenchtown, New Jersey, is working in aquaculture and continuing to build on her interests in marine science.

Emory Barrett, who will earn his bachelor’s degree in May from the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences in biological oceanography, explored the potential for life in extreme environments beyond Earth. His paper, published in October in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science, focused on the possibility of chemoautotrophy on Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, examining how microbes might generate energy by oxidizing inorganic compounds in the absence of sunlight.

All three papers listed the students as lead authors, with Lutz as the corresponding author.

For Barrett, the experience offered a foundation for what comes next. Barrett, of Milford, New Jersey, is preparing to begin a doctoral degree program in oceanography at Rutgers, where he will conduct pilot studies this summer at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, a Rutgers field station in South Jersey. The laboratory focuses on the sustainable management and cultivation of shellfish, supporting coastal ecosystems and aquaculture development across the region.

Publishing as an undergraduate can shape the next phase of a career.

“It showed I could do this kind of work before even starting a Ph.D.,” Barrett said. “It’s an added layer of confidence, knowing I’ve already been through the process before.”

The publication process required persistence. In Cinquemani’s case, the work underwent extensive scrutiny before acceptance.

“It took about a year to get the paper into publishable shape,” Lutz said. “One of the reviewers was a leading expert in the field, and there were roughly 15 pages of comments across five rounds of review.”

Lutz, who has conducted more than 85 deep-sea dives and authored nearly 200 papers, said the experience reflects both the rigor of the course and the level of work the students were able to achieve.

At this stage in his career, Lutz said his focus is on mentoring the next generation of scientists.

“I’ve received many awards over the years, but none of that compares to seeing students succeed like this,” he said. “Toward the end of the course, one of the students gave me a leather-bound journal with a note that brought me to tears. On the cover, it said, ‘Great leaders inspire greatness in others.’ That means more to me than anything else.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

  

Assistant Professor Fiorella Prada, the 2026 AZ Teacher of the Year at SEBS Convocation.

Fiorella Prada, assistant professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, was named the 2026 Alpha Zeta Professor of the Year at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). Prada was first recognized at the school’s Baccalaureate where she was presented with a certificate by Alpha Zeta.

Fiorella Prada at SEBS Baccalaureate with her certificate for 2026 AZ Teacher of the Year.

Prada joined Rutgers in November 2021 as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and was promoted to assistant professor in September 2023.

Her passion for ocean science began early while growing up in Mozambique, where she moved with her parents at the age of three, and where the Indian Ocean served as both her backyard and her first “natural laboratory.” Fascinated by the coral fragments and marine life she encountered, she developed the curiosity that would eventually shape her career in marine science and oceanography. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Natural Science and a master’s degree in Ecology from the University of Parma (Italy). This was followed by a Ph.D. in Biodiversity and Evolution in 2014 from the University of Bologna (Italy).

Today, her research broadly focuses on the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on marine environments. Her teaching inspires students to actively engage with scientific discovery as she describes below.

“I aim to bring students into the practice of science rather than simply teaching them about it. I see teaching and research as inseparable: my research strengthens my teaching, while my students continuously challenge and refine how I think and communicate science,” said Prada.

“I strive to create an environment where curiosity, enthusiasm, and hands-on experience make ocean science both accessible and engaging, and where students feel part of the scientific process rather than observers of it,” she added.

Prada’s passion for teaching and mentorship has left a lasting impression on her students, many of whom describe her as both an inspiring educator and a compassionate mentor:

Dr. Prada truly deserves all of the recognition she receives as such a thoughtful and enthusiastic professor whom I’ve had the pleasure of being taught by! She’s made me feel eager to learn and consistently encourages her students to succeed in their pursuits. – Victoria Samuel

Dr. Prada is the first person to support students academically, personally, and professionally with unrelenting enthusiasm. Dr. Prada is the coolest role model who gives the best advice and truly inspires all to work hard and enjoy the work they do. – Amaya Baez and Natalie Dinerman

Dr. Prada is incredibly passionate about the work she does, and this passion makes being taught by her truly a wonderful experience. She is a professor who cares deeply about her students and their success. I feel very fortunate to have taken classes with her. – Olivia Loya

The students’ words of praise and deep appreciation are for a teacher whose impact has extended far beyond the classroom, inspiring students to move into the world with confidence, curiosity, and a lasting commitment to excellence, compassion and discovery.

Learn more about the work of 2026 Alpha Zeta Teacher of the Year awardee in a previous Newsroom story.

  

Drone image of a “living shoreline” at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, taken in October 2025. Offshore concrete reef structures reduce wave power, while smaller curved reefs and planted marsh and seagrass help slow water, trap sediment and create habitat. Together, the system is designed to protect the shoreline and grow into a natural, self-sustaining coastal ecosystem. Photo: Eric Sparks, Mississippi State University

Scientists report that a living reef coastal defense system can reduce wave power significantly, suggesting the approach could offer a new way to protect shorelines from storms and rising seas.

Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by an international team that included nine Rutgers University researchers, provide one of the most detailed tests to date of whether a hybrid reef system combining living organisms with artificial structures can function as coastal protection infrastructure.

View of a small, curved reef built from shell bags and mini modules. Made with recycled oyster shells, the structure is already attracting oysters, mussels and barnacles, and will continue to grow over time. Photo: Jenny Shinn

“We set out to build a kind of living reef, something that combines natural and engineered materials and can repair itself over time, to help protect coastlines from flooding, erosion and storm damage that are putting both communities and critical infrastructure at risk,” said David Bushek, a professor with the Department of Marine and Coastal Studies at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Studies and a lead author of the study. “So far, the results are encouraging. What we built is working.”

The study focused on a modular reef system placed offshore of a military site along the Florida Panhandle. The reef was designed to evolve naturally with marshes, seagrass and other aspects of coastal habitats to form what the researchers call a “Living Shoreline Mosaic^TM.” Built from porous concrete modules to reduce wave power, the hybrid structure combines engineering and natural processes and since has been colonized by oysters and other marine life, forming a natural reef that builds on and strengthens the original framework.

Researchers found the hybrid reef system reduced wave power by more than 90% in tests, while supporting reef growth and working together with surrounding coastal habitats to stabilize the shoreline.

Researchers based their conclusions on field measurements at the site, along with modeling and ongoing monitoring of wave energy, sediment movement and early reef development following installation.

The project was developed through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Reefense program and installed between October 2024 and March 2025 at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. The base was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018, prompting U.S. Department of Defense officials to investigate new ways to protect vulnerable coastlines.

Underwater view of oysters growing on Reefense Modules. Some were planted as tiny juveniles to jump-start reef formation, while others settled naturally, showing how the structure is becoming a living reef. Photo: Jenny Shinn

Researchers from Rutgers and partner institutions were brought in through the Reefense program to design the hybrid reef system and investigate whether it could function as coastal infrastructure and provide a longer-lasting alternative to traditional engineered structures.

In coastal engineering, reducing wave energy is the primary way to limit shoreline erosion and storm damage, Bushek said. The reef functions like a breakwater, an off shore structure that absorbs wave energy before it reaches land and became more effective over time as the reef grew.

If the system continues to perform as expected, researchers said it could represent a shift in how shorelines are protected, shifting the emphasis from structures that fight nature to systems designed to work with it.

“The Reefense Modules^TM and Living Shoreline Mosaic^TM strategy advance the field of nature-based solutions for shoreline protection and can be applied anywhere oysters form reefs,” Bushek said. “In the face of increasing storms and rising seas, it is critical to develop strategies that protect our coasts.”

Rutgers researchers on the study also included co-lead investigators Ximing Guo, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences; Hani Nassif, professor in the Department of Civil Engineering; and Richard Riman, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Other Rutgers researchers on the study included: Reid Holland, a doctoral student; and Michael Ruszala, a master’s degree student, with the Rutgers School of Engineering; and Zhenwei Wang, postdoctoral associate, Jenny Shin, field researcher, and the late Danielle Kreeger, research scientist, all with the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

  

Ximing Guo, at left, is presented with the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin’s 2026 Samuel S. Baxter Memorial Award by David Bushek, director of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory at Rutgers. Photo: Courtesy of WRA.

Ximing Guo, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS) at Rutgers University, has been honored by the Water Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin (WRA) with its 2026 Samuel S. Baxter Memorial Award. The award recognizes individuals who best exemplify WRA’s mission through contributions to sound water management.

A renowned shellfish geneticist, Guo has been based at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory since joining Rutgers as a postdoctoral fellow in 1992. He was formally recognized by WRA on April 23 for his transformative research, which has reshaped global aquaculture and strengthened the resilience of the Delaware Bay, as captured in WRA’s tribute to Guo.

“I want to see oyster resources rebound and oyster farming flourish, strengthening the health of the Delaware Bay and supporting the livelihoods of the coastal communities that depend on it. I hope our research contributes to that goal in a meaningful way,” said Guo.

Over the course of his career, Guo has focused on understanding the genetics of shellfish populations and their cultivation in Delaware Bay and beyond. His work has established him as a global leader in the field, marked by numerous significant contributions. In 2013, he was named “Inventor of the Year” by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame for his innovations in shellfish genetics.

L-R: Jillian Jamieson, laboratory researcher and doctoral student in the Guo lab; Dave Bushek, director of Rutgers Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory; Distinguished Professor Ximing Guo; and Sam Ratcliff, operations manager at Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory and doctoral candidate in the Guo lab. Photo: Courtesy of WRA.

Guo leads the Shellfish Breeding and Genetics Program at the Haskin Lab, an internationally recognized center for fisheries and aquaculture research, particularly on species of commercial importance to New Jersey. He is also a lead principal investigator and key architect of the East Coast Oyster Breeding Consortium, and a co-investigator on the Hard Clam Breeding Consortium.

“Dr. Guo’s work provides a foundation on which we build many other programs supporting shellfish research, production and conservation benefiting the state, the region and beyond,” said David Bushek, professor in DMCS and director of the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory.

Among his recent achievements, Guo is part of a team that successfully mapped the complete genetic code of a hybrid oyster—an advancement that offers powerful new tools for aquaculture. Using advanced DNA sequencing technology, the team identified nearly 60,000 genes across 20 chromosomes, producing the first chromosomal-level genome assembly of an allotetraploid oyster, a hybrid containing genetic material from two closely related species.

This genetic breakthrough has significant implications for climate resilience and food security.

“Having this complete genome sequence gives oyster breeders a powerful new resource,” said Guo. “By understanding how genes from these two species work together in a hybrid, we can potentially develop more resilient oyster stocks and make the aquaculture industry more efficient and sustainable.”

Read more in WRA’s full profile of Guo’s distinguished career and transformative research.