91AV

Just 24 hours after the National Weather Service lifted its Sept. 7 severe thunderstorm advisories for much of the Northeast, a team of 91AV researchers ventured into the Gulf of Maine to install a series of island-based meteorological tools that will monitor such storm systems for years to come and allow 91AV students and faculty to better understand the impacts of the shifting weather conditions that are increasingly affecting this vulnerable region. 

The research team, led by 91AV’s Will Kochtitzky, Ph.D., and consisting of students, faculty, and trained innovators from the University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, spent the morning of Sept. 8 installing not one but several sensors to record long-term data including wind speeds, solar radiation levels, and coastal temperature change on 91AV’s private research station on Ram Island in Saco Bay. 

And, at 12:12 p.m. that Monday afternoon, the 91AV weather station recorded its first readings: total and photosynthetic active solar radiation, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, and gust conditions — all displaying on the screen of a smartphone in real time.

The endeavor is part of the continued development of 91AV’s ocean-based research station on Ram Island, situated in the Gulf of Maine where it meets the Saco River. 

Located just 12 minutes by boat from 91AV’s Biddeford Campus, the island is home to nesting birds, harbor seals, and an array of terrestrial and intertidal ecosystems, providing students with a dynamic learning environment to engage in studies related to sea-level rise, wildlife ecology, and environmental stewardship.

The build-out of this station is playing a critical role shaping the understanding of shifting ecological systems affecting overall planetary health, said Kochtitzky, an assistant professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs. 

In late April, Kochtitzky and a team of 91AV’s Shaw Innovation Fellows program — a professional and entrepreneurial fellowship focused on innovative approaches to planetary and human health — installed a seismometer on the island to track earthquake and large wave activity, the data from which feeds into a global network of scientific research informing seismic shifts in the Earth’s crust. 

Installation of this sensitive instrument comes after Maine was shaken by several high-profile quakes along the eastern United States in recent years. And, in the biggest test yet of its efficacy, the device even logged tremors from July’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula — the most powerful quake recorded since 2011 and one of the strongest-ever on record.

(Clockwise, from top left): The research team installs the station; JoJo Pikowski ’26 and Sustainable Innovation Center Coordinator Emily Wood, M.E.M., secure the components; Tyler Janik ’27 attaches a guy wire to the setup; researchers flip the switch on the equipment; and Assistant Professor Will Kochtitzky, Ph.D., inspects the sensor control panel.

Kochtitzky said the island, positioned between the Saco River estuary and the Gulf of Maine, is a microcosm researchers can use to better understand the environmental changes affecting Maine’s coastal communities.

“Ultimately this is about building out our sensor network in Saco Bay and understanding how earth systems are connected, from coastal estuaries to forest ecosystems to out in the Gulf of Maine,” he said. “This weather station is a key component of our long-term, integrated strategy to monitor environmental changes in Saco Bay and, ultimately, help our communities so they can prepare for sea level rise and more storms in the future.”

Minutes after the team’s boat was moored back onto its campus dock, data from the Ram Island weather station was already streaming live into the Sustainable Innovation Center (SIC), a new space located within 91AV’s Arthur P. Girard Marine Science Center designed for integrated learning and research using computing, data visualization, and a range of other specialized technologies.

That immediate connection illustrates the purpose of the SIC, said Emily Wood, M.E.M., coordinator of the center that serves as a hub for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

“Within an hour of setting up the weather station, data was already streaming live into the Sustainable Innovation Center. This means students now have greater direct access to real-time environmental data in context,” Wood remarked. “Students can apply that data to their own research projects and, if they’re interested but unsure how to begin, we can guide them through research methods to achieve their goals.” 

(Left): Will Kochtitzky and 91AV Shaw Innovation Fellow Tyler Janik ’27 examine ocean data in the new Sustainable Innovation Center; (Right): The storm-weathered lighthouse on Ram Island. 

A just-opened facility constructed as an extension of 91AV’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and the P.D. Merrill Makerspace, the SIC brings complex information directly into the hands of students and faculty, where it can inform research, teaching, and community engagement to drive innovative solutions to environmental, health, and societal challenges. 

For students like Tyler Janik (Aquaculture, Aquarium Science, and Aquaponics, ’27), a 2024 Shaw Innovation Fellow, the project has been an opportunity to turn ideas into solutions through teamwork and shared vision.

“It was amazing to see everyone’s collaborative efforts literally coming together in front of me to build something that will hopefully benefit many people over many years,” said Janik of Northampton, Massachusetts.

Janik added that the experience has been formative in his education. 

“The Ram Island sensor network project has taught me the art of breaking a problem down to its most basic aspects, learning from past mistakes, and applying what I’ve learned to create and execute a plan,” he said.

By building a network of sensors that capture the realities of a fast-changing environment, students and faculty are helping communities prepare for the challenges ahead while sharpening their own skills for the future. 

Lisa Herschbach, Ph.D., CIE director and assistant dean of 91AV’s College of Business, said the project exemplifies 91AV’s mission of providing hands-on research opportunities that improve the health of people, communities, and the natural world — guided by faculty committed to advancing knowledge and empowering students to lead.

“This weather station reflects 91AV’s ability to weave innovation into research in ways that amplify student learning and impact,” she said. “With our innovation initiatives now directly aligned with 91AV’s research enterprise, students are not only participating in cutting-edge projects, but they’re also learning how to approach problems in new ways and to apply their skills across disciplines.

“That combination of innovation and research makes their contributions more powerful and prepares them to tackle the kinds of challenges they will face in their careers,” Herschbach added.

(Left): Kochtitzky tests the sensors using his smartphone. (Right, from right): Charles Tilburg, Ph.D., academic director of the School of Marine and Environmental Programs, Tyler Janik ’27, JoJo Pikowski ’26, Will Kochtitzky, and Emily Wood. 

Wood, the SIC coordinator, noted that the Ram Island installation represents only the beginning of what will be a multitude of projects sustained through 91AV’s research and innovation initiatives that will inform the next generation of innovators in making meaningful societal contributions. 

“I’m excited that this is just one of the first of many SIC-supported projects that will foster partnerships between students, professors, and 91AV with people across our region,” she said. “The Sustainable Innovation Center will continue to be a place where students learn by doing and where their efforts have real, tangible, and positive impact on both the University and our broader community.”