Troy, N.Y. — Governor George E. Pataki today announced that he will include $25 million in the 2006-07 Executive Budget for the construction of a Center for Advanced Environmental Technology at the Rivers and Estuaries Center on the Hudson in Beacon, N.Y.

Arthur Sanderson, chair of the science advisory committee for the Rivers and Estuaries Center and professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer, said: 

“We applaud Governor Pataki for his leadership in fostering research along the length of the Hudson River and Estuary that will provide a strong basis of science to the management of these priceless natural systems. Emerging technologies in sensor development, information technology for networks, and robotics are critical to the future of environmental research and monitoring and have important commercial applications. Today’s announcement is an important next step as we partner to develop the infrastructure to support and grow the research already under way at the Rivers and Estuaries Center in Beacon, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.”

Research:
Rensselaer and its Darrin Fresh Water Institute are at the forefront of research on distributed sensor networks that enable real-time environmental monitoring of the Hudson River and other rivers, lakes, and waterways. Real-time monitoring allows better observation of complex waterway systems, supporting advances in basic environmental science and providing applications to environmental management of these systems.

As the principal investigator of the RiverNet project at Rensselaer, Sanderson is working collaboratively with other researchers to develop a network of distributed sensing devices and water-monitoring robots, including the first solar-powered autonomous underwater vehicles (SAUVs). RiverNet, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and conducted in cooperation with the Rivers and Estuaries Center, will further expand the capacity to gather and analyze data from the river.

Background:
In 2003, Rensselaer was selected to manage the Upper Hudson Satellite of the Rivers and Estuaries Center to be located in Troy, N.Y. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University was selected to manage the Lower Hudson Satellite. Plans to develop research, education, and outreach facilities at the Upper Hudson Satellite are moving forward. The central Rivers and Estuaries Center is located at Dennings Point in Beacon, N.Y.

The Riverscope project, a cooperative research initiative of the Rivers and Estuaries Center involving Rensselaer and LDEO, began in 2004. Sensors placed in five strategic locations along the Hudson River are enhancing the research of scientists monitoring the river’s physical, chemical, and biological systems. The devices are located at Piermont Pier in Rockland County, Haverstraw, Poughkeepsie, Albany, and Mechanicville.

Contact: Tiffany Lohwater
Phone: (518) 276-6542
E-mail: lohwat@rpi.edu