'R U COOL?' Library Dives Deep With Oceanographers

During this time of the year, most people are heading to the ocean. But last night, the ocean came to Ridgewood.

Oceanographer Sage Lichtenwalner spoke to the patrons of the Ridgewood Public Library Tuesday about the work he and fellow Rutgers scientists are doing through the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observation Lab (RUCOOL) to research the conditions of New Jersey's the coastal waters and around the globe.

Lichtenwalner said ocean research is more important now than ever. With the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it is necessary to collect as much data as possible in order to try and figure out what the residual effects of the spill will be on our oceans—both above the surface and below.

According to its official website, RUCOOL's research focuses on the ocean's biophysical processes. Their laboratory is regularly involved in complex research projects where cutting-edge technology—from space satellites and radar to submersible underwater gliders or robots—are used to collect real-time data for informational sampling.

These samples help the scientists understand how things like hurricanes, climate changes or even the movement of oil spills can impact our ocean waters. The lab is also consistently in collaboration with other research groups and commercial companies to help develop new sampling technologies.

At the library, Lichtenwalner made his presentation both informative and fun. Geared for ages 12 and older, Lichtenwalner showed slides of the various RUCOOL technologies while discussing how each one worked and what its function was.

He also brought along a real submersible robot glider similar to one at the university called "RU-27," which in 2009 traveled 7,300 kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean and is currently waiting to be displayed at one of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C.

Lichtenwalner also got his audience actively involved by interjecting multiple-choice questions about the ocean at various times throughout his presentation. Answers were instantly tallied up with small calculator-like devices that were handed out to each person beforehand.

After the presentation Lichtenwalner took questions from the audience, and then invited everyone up to the stage if they wanted to take a closer look at the robot glider.

Young adult librarian Gina Mitgang was very pleased to have Lichtenwalner come and speak. "I found this very interesting and it looks like everyone else did, too," she said. "I'd say it was a success."

For more information, visit its website.