Science & Technology
River and Estuary Observatory Network (REON)
Beacon Institute is collaborating with IBM to create the first technology-based monitoring and forecasting network for a major American river and estuary.
The River and Estuary Observatory Network (REON) will allow for minute-to-minute monitoring of New York's Hudson and St. Lawrence Rivers via an integrated network of sensors, robotics and computational technology distributed throughout the 315-mile river. Once completed, the Institute and IBM anticipate that the network will be replicated on other river systems.
The first-of-its-kind project is made possible in part by IBM's "Stream Computing" system, and by collaboration with key academic and governmental participants including Clarkson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institution, Union College, Stony Brook University, Pace Law School, Rutgers University Coastal Observation Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service and others.
In August 2008, Beacon Institute deployed B1, the first REON sensor array, in the Hudson River, off Denning's Point. For 2009, B1 was redesigned and redeployed, and the research team completed several more deployments. View additional deployments and real-time streaming REON data here.
The Center for Advanced Environmental Research (CAER)
Now in design, the Center for Advanced Environmental Research (CAER) is the Institute's planned research and development for the innovation and development of technologies for real-time observation and monitoring of complex river systems. The second facility to be built on the the Denning's Point campus in Beacon, on the site of a former paperclip factory, CAER will be the physical and virtual homebase for the River and Estuary Observatory Network (REON), and the Institute's faculty and collaborations with the region's top research institutions, industry leaders and policy makers.
The Upper Hudson Research Center at Troy (UHRC)
Beacon Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and the City of Troy are collaborating to design and build a state-of-the-art, sustainable 11,000 square foot environmental research facility that will launch new educational and research initiatives to preserve river ecosystems. The Upper Hudson Research Center at Troy represents Beacon Institute's commitment to the watershed, communities and people extending from the Capital Region northward.
