History was made this summer when the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) hosted cadets and midshipmen from each of the U.S. service academies for the first known complete inter academy internship. As part of each academy’s Cadet Summer Research Internship, this opportunity provided an immersive research and development experience supporting field data collection at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey and artificial intelligence model development at the ERDC Environmental Laboratory (EL). Supporting research within the Intelligent Environmental Battlespace Awareness (IEBA) Program, Global Forest Characterization Task, this two-week internship included one week of field data collection and analysis at JBMDL, and one week of model development training at EL. Field data collection at JBMDL included plot-level forest sampling to quantify forest attributes related to radiofrequency propagation through forests. The data collected will be used to inform mission critical environmental intelligence and was used to develop individual research projects tailored towards each cadet’s areas of study and experience. Beyond the science, the internship focused on growth and collaboration, which included introducing the cadets and midshipmen to the world-class research and development ERDC delivers in support of the Warfighter, and how it might impact their future as military officers in ever-increasing complex and joint environments. Watch this video to learn more about their experience.

History was made this summer when the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) hosted cadets and midshipmen from each of the U.S. service academies for the first known complete inter academy internship. As part of each academy’s Cadet Summer Research Internship, this opportunity provided an immersive research and development experience supporting field data collection at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey and artificial intelligence model development at the ERDC Environmental Laboratory (EL). Supporting research within the Intelligent Environmental Battlespace Awareness (IEBA) Program, Global Forest Characterization Task, this two-week internship included one week of field data collection and analysis at JBMDL, and one week of model development training at EL. Field data collection at JBMDL included plot-level forest sampling to quantify forest attributes related to radiofrequency propagation through forests. The data collected will be used to inform mission critical environmental intelligence and was used to develop individual research projects tailored towards each cadet’s areas of study and experience. Beyond the science, the internship focused on growth and collaboration, which included introducing the cadets and midshipmen to the world-class research and development ERDC delivers in support of the Warfighter, and how it might impact their future as military officers in ever-increasing complex and joint environments. Watch this video to learn more about their experience.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, manages hundreds of locks and dams, which are critical components of a complex navigation system that is central to our nation’s economy and security. Inspecting this aging aquatic infrastructure often requires costly and dangerous processes, such as deploying divers or dewatering structures, which shuts down the flow of goods and materials. To help USACE districts perform these inspections in a safer and more cost-effective manner, and with higher quality, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has been testing the use of an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV). By conducting research into how to best use this off-the-shelf technology for underwater inspections, the ERDC is testing, validating and developing systematic and best practices. This insight will help USACE know what works, what doesn’t and will enable them to fully capitalize on the transformative potential of ROVs for underwater inspections. Watch this video to learn more. #military #civilworks #infrastructure #lock #dams #navigation #inlandnavigation #economy #nationalsecurity #rivers #robotics #underwater #engineer #engineers #engineering #science #innovation #technology #research #researchanddevelopment #PowerofERDC

Members of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Environmental Laboratory are utilizing groundbreaking technologies and nature's own inventions to combat invasive species in the U.S. Alan Katzenmeyer, chief of the Aquatic Ecology and Invasive Species Branch, Ian Knight, a biologist from the branch, and Audrey Harrison, an entomologist from the branch, provide insight into the research they are conducting at facilities in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in spring 2021.

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is proud to have a long history of discovering, developing and delivering new ways to protect our environment. Today, ERDC continues to produce world-class research to support the Corps of Engineers’ Environmental Operating Principles. That includes methods to remove blue-green algae from large bodies of water and break down its toxins into useful products like biofuels and fertilizer. ERDC is leading a collaborative effort to address the legacy issues of PFAS, and is providing more environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies for Army installations. It is helping the Corps beneficially use dredged sediment to nourish wetlands, and is helping local governments prepare for the flood threat that follows destructive wildfires. ERDC’s commitment to improving and sustaining the environment remains steadfast.

Suspension of sediments during dredging and dredged material disposal operations continues to be a primary concern of regulatory agencies charged with the protection of environmental resources. Researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Environmental Laboratory (EL) are developing a new strategy for water quality monitoring that would enable much improved management decisions regarding safe, environmentally sound dredging projects. Harness the Power of ERDC at ERDCINFO@USACE.ARMY.MIL

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Dr. Todd Bridges, the national lead for Engineering With Nature, explains the four major elements to EWN: 1) using science and engineering to produce operational efficiencies; 2) using natural processes for maximum benefit; 3) broadening the range of benefits provided by a project; and 4) working collaboratively across organizations and perspectives. > www: https://ewn.el.erdc.dren.mil/ | Contact: ERDCinfo@usace.army.mil

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Environmental Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi, facilitates workshops to train engineers, scientists and project managers on new techniques for managing dredged material placement areas using native vegetation. Hands-on workshops teach the use of native plants to enhance the structural integrity of dikes in placement areas. Engineering with Nature minimizes the need to rebuild or repair, saving time and money. https://ewn.el.erdc.dren.mil/

The Environmental Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi has been working for 15 years studying the status and trends of Pallid Sturgeon on the Lower Mississippi River. Based on these studies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division signed a conservation agreement under the Endangered Species Act with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service outlining various conservation measures in the Lower Mississippi River. These measures include monitoring and research, as well as cooperative efforts to increase side channel and floodplain connectivity to benefit Pallid Sturgeon and the two other endangered species, the Interior Least Tern and the Fat Pocketbook mussel. (Produced by Bruce Reid, Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee and the Mississippi River Trust)

The Aquatic and Wetlands Ecosystems Research and Development Center, part of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi, hosts four teams of scientists studying behavior and physiology of endangered fish and other aquatic life, helping control invasive aquatic plants, invertebrates and fish; protecting wetlands and coastal areas; and conducting research on aquatic ecosystems. The scientists work on nationally important challenges such as how to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, testing safe and efficient biological controls for noxious plants; and developing procedures regulating and protecting wetlands. (Produced by Bruce Reid)

Fisheries biologists, led by the Environmental Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and New Orleans District, search for federally endangered Pallid Sturgeon possibly entrained through the Bonnet Carré Spillway near New Orleans. The Bonnet Carré Spillway is the one of the largest freshwater diversions in the world capable of passing 250,000 cfs from the Mississippi River into Lake Pontchartrain. Biologists have rescued Pallid Sturgeon after previous openings in the spring of 2008 and 2011. However, no sturgeon were found downstream of the structure after the recent January 2016 opening likely due to fish occurring in deeper waters away from the structure during colder water temperatures. (Produced by Bruce Reid, Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee and the Mississippi River Trust)

The Environmental Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi is studying how floodplain connectivity influences biodiversity in the Lower Mississippi River. Results will be used to recommend conservation and restoration measures to improve and protect important aquatic habitats on our nation’s largest river. The study is part of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi River Geomorphology and Potamology Program, http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/Missions/Mississippi-River-Science-Technology/MS-River-Geomorphology-Potamology/ (Produced by Bruce Reid, Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee and the Mississippi River Trust)

The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee (LMRCC) working with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineer notch closing dikes across secondary channels to increase connectivity with the main channel of the Lower Mississippi River. This clip focuses on the LMRCC's recent work at Prairie Point Towhead, near Helena, Arkansas and studies by the U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center to monitor fish and invertebrate utilization in restored secondary channels. Since 2006, the LMRCC has completed 24 projects, improving habitat in over 82 miles of secondary channels for the benefit of fish, other wildlife, and people. (Produced by Bruce Reid, Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee)

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center and the University of Minnesota are studying whether managed water flows through locks and dams can keep non-native Asian carp from spreading to the upper Mississippi River and into the Great Lakes. They are using one of the world's only mobile swim tunnels to evaluate swimming behaviors and determine maximum swim speeds of Silver and Bighead Carp. Water velocity barriers can be designed from this information. (Produced Bruce Reid, Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee)