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.

  

Microfluidic system used by the researchers to study the dissolution of calcium carbonate in marine snow mounted. Photo: Yuval Jacobi

As any diver knows, oceans can be cloudy places. Even on sunny days, snow-like particles drift through the water column, obscuring the aquatic world below.

Scientists have long known that this “marine snow” carries inorganic calcium carbonate – the building block of shells – but couldn’t explain how the mineral dissolves in the upper part of the ocean.

New research from Rutgers University-New Brunswick points to the culprit: bacteria.

“Think of marine particles as the megacities of the ocean,” said Benedict Borer, an assistant professor of marine and coastal sciences at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and lead author of the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Within these tiny spaces, there are huge amounts of microbial activity. It’s here where calcium carbonate dissolves.” 

The findings could reshape how climate scientists model carbon sequestration – the natural or engineered process by which carbon dioxide gas is removed from the atmosphere – and ocean carbon cycling (the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean), Borer said.

Benedict Borer.

“Oceanographers often think about the macro-scale, but in this instance, what’s happening in microscopic particles is controlling the entire ocean,” he said. 

Oceans are central to the planet’s biological carbon pump. At the surface, microscopic algae called phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – including that released by the burning of fossil fuels – and convert it into biomass and, in the case of a phytoplankton called coccolithophores, calcium carbonate shells. 

When marine organisms die and sink, billions of tons of organic and inorganic carbon are carried downward each year. The deeper the carbon sinks, the longer it is stored. Eventually, in the cold, acidic depths, calcium carbonate dissolves, carbon dioxide is released, and the cycle continues.

However, while oceanographers have long known that calcium carbonate dissolves in the upper few thousand meters of the ocean, they could not explain the mechanism. The chemistry doesn’t favor it, Borer said.

Recent studies have provided clues, showing that acidic microenvironments in the guts of zooplankton enhance calcium carbonate dissolution, and suggesting that the interiors of marine snow particles may be additional hotspots for calcite dissolution, the crystalline form of calcium carbonate.

To test this theory, Borer and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution studied how the chemistry of marine snow behaves in shallow seas.

In the lab, Borer built a three-layer microfluidic chip to mimic marine snow sinking through the water column. The middle layer held marine particles with calcite and marine bacteria. The top and bottom layers sealed the system, while artificial seawater flowed through the narrow channel between them, simulating particle sinking.

By controlling gas pressure, temperature, oxygen, and bacterial abundance, the team recreated the conditions within a sinking particle and measured how bacterial growth affected calcite.

As particles settled, bacterial respiration increased acidity around them, accelerating calcite dissolution. As a critical consequence, less calcite acting as ballast means that particles sink more slowly.

The results suggest that microbially driven changes in marine snow may dissolve enough calcite near the surface to slow sinking rates and reduce the efficiency of carbon sequestration. And because growing bacteria release carbon dioxide as a byproduct, the process may accelerate the return of heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere, Borer said.

More work is needed to confirm the findings in the open ocean, but the discovery clarifies bacteria’s role in carbon cycling and could improve future climate models and inform geoengineering approaches, he said.

“Our results provide a critical first step to decipher the influence of microbial-enhanced calcite dissolution in marine snow particles, and how it impacts the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon at the global scale,” Borer said.

He added: “The question now is how the biological carbon pump will change in the future. Will the transport of carbon to depth become more efficient, or will bacteria respire the carbon more quickly, releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere? To predict this, we need to understand all mechanisms that impact carbon transport to depth, such as the microbially enhanced dissolution of ballasting calcite. What I find quite scary, honestly, is that this process could go either way.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

  

Graphic credit: ARIS

Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences (DMCS) Chair Oscar Schofield and Professor Kay Bidle were honored for their work elevating research impact at the 2026 Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS)’s Summit, “Impact by Design”, which took place March 30 – April 1. 

Schofield was awarded the Enduring Achievement Award, which honors those with a long and storied history of work that has demonstrated measurable and lasting societal impact. 

The citation emphasized his purposeful weaving of research and outreach across his career and within DMCS. His work includes leading marine and coastal training for educators, collaborating with the U.S. Coast Guard on rescue modeling and partnering with the Rutgers SEBS Science in Action group to create two documentary films focused on science literacy.  

With this award, he joins past awardees such as Nalini M. Nadkarni (University of Utah), Portal to the Public and The Center for Science and the Schools (Penn State University).  

Bidle was awarded the Impact Innovations Award, which recognizes leaders in developing new strategies for societal impact. He was awarded for his work on the Tools of Science educational video series, a project focused on communicating the scientific process and science practices. 

The project seeks to highlight the collaborative nature of research and its impacts in society, with videos focused on tangible scientific methods—like “Modeling” and “Sampling” and more intangible concepts—like “Collaboration” and “Creativity”. The video series is designed to be used by students and educators, and it adheres to the U.S. Next Generation Science Standards.  

Graphic credit: ARIS

Bidle worked on the Tools of Science project with other collaborators, including Rutgers colleagues Janice McDonnell (SEBS Associate Dean of Research Impact) and Kim Thamatrakoln (Associate Professor, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences). With this award, he joins past awardees such as the Zooniverse project, MinuteEarth, and the Teen Science Cafe Network.  

The 2026 ARIS Summit’s theme was centered around how researchers and research impact professionals can elevate the results of research impact–focusing on what changed as a result of the research, who it changed for, and why the change mattered. 

In his acceptance, Schofield noted the importance of communicating science and its impacts. He credits collaborating with impact professionals with “allow[ing] me to elevate efforts to increase wider understanding of why the ocean is critical to all of humanity and that doing/learning about science is fun, creative, and important….Communities such as ARIS are so important, I thank the broad community of ocean communicators and science translators.” 

About ARIS 
The Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS), formerly the National Alliance for Broader Impacts, was founded in 2014 and is the largest societal impact community organization in the U.S. ARIS supports practitioners, researchers and communities in achieving positive societal impact. With more than 1,800 members worldwide, ARIS offers resources, certifications, and programs to build capacity, grow partnerships, and enhance scholarship. Visit researchinsociety.org. 

Editor’s note: This article was written by Mitaali Taskar, a science communicator and research project assistant with Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.

  

Adélie penguins in Antarctica. Photo credits Oscar Schofield

Penguins waddling across Antarctic ice might seem far removed from a classroom in New Jersey, but a new study shows that these charismatic birds can be a powerful hook for teaching young people about climate change — and inspiring them to see themselves as future scientists.

The study was led by researchers at Rutgers University, including affiliates of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute Janice McDonnell, Associate Dean of Research Impact at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, and Oscar Schofield, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. In addition, the lead author, Marissa Staffen, and co-author Matthew Newman are both county agents from the Department of 4-H Youth Development at Rutgers.

Published in the Journal of Geoscience Education, the study evaluates a program called Data to the Rescue: Penguins Need Our Help! — an eight-session after-school club designed for middle schoolers in grades 5 to 8. The program invites students to join a virtual research team studying real penguin population data from Antarctica, collected by the National Science Foundation’s Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program at Palmer Station.

Students work with actual scientific data using an online tool called CODAP to graph and analyze how Adélie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguin populations have changed over time — and why. The program ends with a creative “Data Jam,” where students turn their findings into poems, art, videos, or other projects to share with their communities.

The program directly connects climate change in the polar regions — where warming is happening much faster than the global average — to real consequences like sea ice loss and shrinking penguin populations. It also draws lines from those distant changes to local impacts like sea level rise and extreme weather, helping students understand that what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica.

“This program shows that when you give young people real scientific data and a compelling story — in this case, penguins — they don’t just learn facts, they start to see themselves as part of the solution. Building that sense of identity and agency in students, especially for young people that don’t see themselves represented in STEM, is one of the most important things we can do for both STEM education and climate action,” said Staffen.

Students in the Data to the Rescue program explore real penguin population data collected at Palmer Station, Antarctica, connecting distant ecosystems to local climate change impacts. Photo credit Matthew Newman

Over three years and across 46 program sites in the U.S., 1,571 youth took part. The study found that after completing the program, students showed a statistically significant increase in ‘science identity’ — meaning students felt more like they belonged in science. This was especially meaningful given that the program intentionally reached out to groups underrepresented in STEM, including girls, Black and Hispanic youth, and students from low-income communities.

Students who started with little knowledge of polar science showed the biggest gains in learning. Many who began by answering “I don’t know” to questions about the Arctic and Antarctic finished the program with real, substantive answers.

Interestingly, overall fascination with science dipped slightly by the end of the program — but the authors suggest this may reflect a more realistic understanding of what science actually involves, including the hard work and challenges, rather than a loss of interest. Students with lower initial fascination actually showed gains.

The implications of this research go beyond penguins. The program offers a replicable, low-cost model for informal science education that can be run in after-school clubs, community centers, summer camps, libraries, or 4-H programs — and all materials are available for free in both English and Spanish. The authors argue that building climate literacy and data skills in young people, particularly those from underserved communities, is essential for developing an informed public and a diverse STEM workforce capable of tackling global challenges like climate change. Explore Data to the Rescue resources and read the full study here.

This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Oliver Stringham, and was reviewed by Marissa Staffen, Janice McDonnell, Matthew Newman, and Oscar Schofield, co-authors on the study.