University National Oceanographic Laboratory System News

An interview with Ian Sage, director for marine operations, NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation, La Spezia, Italy.NATO’s 3,100-ton, 305-foot research vessel NRV Alliance has been a leading platform for underwater acoustics research to the benefit of NATO navies. The ship operated with a civilian crew under the German flag for many years for the NATO SACLANT Center, later renamed the NATO Undersea Research Center, and now known as the NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation. Now Alliance flies a new flag, and has a broader mission.

Power Dynamics Innovations LLC (PDI) said it has been subcontracted by Gulf Island Shipyards LLC, to design, engineer, construct, install and test the centerboard system for Oregon State University (OSU)'s new Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV).Gulf Island Shipyards is building the vessel under a contract from OSU, with an option for two additional vessels. OSU has engaged with naval architecture and engineering firm Glosten to lead the design contract of the next class of oceangoing research vessels for the National Science Foundation (NSF).These state-of-the-art 193-foot ships will be highly flexible, multimission platforms that maximize energy efficient design concepts. The first vessel will be built in Houma, La., and will be delivered to OSU in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The voyage data recorder (VDR) belonging to sunken cargo ship El Faro was found early Tuesday morning in 15,000 feet of water, about 41 miles northeast of Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bahamas, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced. A specialist team comprised of investigators and scientists from the NTSB, the U.S. Coast Guard, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Tote Services, the owner and operator of El Faro, located the VDR using remotely operated undersea search equipment. Video footage showing El Faro's VDR is available here. At about 1 a.m.

I woke up the first night out of Anacortes, Washington, when the ship dropped out from under me and I levitated off my bunk. Then came the sound of shuffleboard in the conference room one deck above. The only trouble was, there's no shuffleboard on the research vessel Neil Armstrong. It was Halloween 2015 in the Northeast Pacific. We were in the first hours of the first voyage of the newest ship in the U.S. academic research fleet, and we were already plowing through 15-foot waves. But the ship’s motion made it feel more like we were facing much heavier seas.

The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is an organization of academic oceanographic institutions working in cooperation with agencies of the U.S. Federal Government to ensure broad access to modern, well-operated, state-of-the-art research vessels, submersibles, aircraft, and facilities required to support a healthy and vigorous research and education program in the ocean sciences. UNOLS informs it is currently actively engaged in the academic research fleet modernization efforts, in exploring environmental sustainability for the fleet, and in outreach initiatives for students and early career scientists. The future fleet composition…

The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) informs it is seeking nominations to fill a Fleet Improvement Committee (FIC) Chair position. The position, which becomes vacant in Fall 2015, would see the selected candidate assume leadership after the 2015 Annual UNOLS meeting on December 3-4, 2015. The FIC works to assure the continuing excellence of the UNOLS Fleet and to assure that the number, mix and overall capability of ships in the UNOLS fleet match the science requirements of academic oceanography in the U.S.

Two new U.S. research vessels are going full steam ahead: the U.S. National Science Foundation will formally commission its Arctic-bound Sikuliaq, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Neil Armstrong will begin science operations. Live Science reports that two new U.S. research ships will take to the seas in the Arctic and Atlantic in 2015, allowing scientists around the world to explore the geology, biology and health of the oceans. The ocean researchers said that the U.S. National Science Foundation has commissioned the Arctic research vessel Sikuliaq. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's (WHOI) ship, dubbed Neil Armstrong, will begin science operations later.

MTU, a Rolls-Royce brand, was chosen to power the Sikuliaq, a U.S. academic research vessel tailor-made for oceanographic research. The Sikuliaq, one of the most advanced university research vessels in the world, is owned by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks as a part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System’s academic research fleet. The Sikuliaq is powered by a total of four MTU Series 4000 Ironmen engines, two of which are MTU 16V 4000 M23S marine generator engines.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus named the 'R/V Sally Ride' to honor the memory of Sally Ride, a scientist, innovator and educator. Ride was the first American woman and the youngest person in space. She later served as director of NASA’s Office of Exploration as well as the California Space Institute at University of California San Diego. “The christening of this ship is not only a celebration of the hard work and dedication of the men and women who have brought this vessel from an idea to a reality, but also of the spirit of exploration and discovery shared by Sally Ride and the United States Navy,” said Mabus. The Neil Armstrong-class…

On March 29, the Ocean Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel hull number 27 started its official life as the R/V Neil Armstrong, the first research vessel named after a space explorer. Carol Armstrong, the widow of the famed astronaut, performed the christening duties during a brief sunbreak on a windy and rainy Pacific Northwest afternoon. The number of illustrious speakers highlighted the rich diversity of agencies involved in the design, construction and operation of the vessel.

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering company Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) announced that the christening ceremony for the Oceanographic Research Vessel AGOR 27, named in honor of the famed Neil Armstrong, was held at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) in Anacortes, Wash., on March 29, 2014. Kali Armstrong, granddaughter of the late astronaut and the Maid of Honor, sang the National Anthem and Carol Knight Armstrong, Neil Armstrong’s wife, served as the ship’s sponsor, performing the honor of breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow.

Interns in the At-Sea Technical Internship Program work as marine technicians aboard sea-going research vessels that are part of the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), the United States Coast Guard, and the Ocean Exploration Trust. The MATE Center and the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) are accepting applications for the 2014 MATE/UNOLS six-month internship through December 2, 2013. Applicants must be ready to enter the job market in the field of marine technology with academic studies complete or near complete.

Earlier this month, Dennis Nixon was named director of the Rhode Island Sea Grant, one of 32 programs that make up the National Sea Grant College Program, which is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nixon spends much of his life near the ocean. As a longtime Jamestown resident, Nixon is never more than minutes away from Narragansett Bay. As associate dean of the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, he is just as close to the waves when he’s in his office. Nixon has been teaching at the University of Rhode Island for 37 years.

The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) seeks nominations & applications to fill Council and Committee vacancies in 2013. The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is an organization of academic oceanographic institutions working in cooperation with agencies of the U.S. Federal Government to ensure broad access to modern, well-operated, state-of-the-art research vessels, aircraft, submersibles, and facilities required to support a healthy and vigorous research and education program in the ocean sciences. UNOLS says it greatly values the contributions of our Council and Committee members. If you have an interest in serving on the UNOLS Council or a Committee you are encouraged to submit an application.

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, in collaboration with two private industry firms, are developing potentially breakthrough technologies to capture vital information from the world’s oceans. Scripps researchers John Orcutt and Jon Berger developed a Memorandum of Understanding with Horton Wison Deepwater (HWD) and John Crane Production Solutions (JCPS) in developing new, uniquely stable and long-lasting ocean buoys with sensors moored to the seafloor to measure ground motion…

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the nation's newest research vessel will be named R/V Sally Ride, in honor of the former UC San Diego faculty member who was the first American female astronaut and the youngest American to fly in space. The ship is owned by the U.S. Navy, will be operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, and will have its home port at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility in Point Loma on San Diego Bay. "Sally Ride's career was one of firsts and will inspire generations to come," said Mabus. Dr.

Famed for Finding Oil Deposits on the Seafloor after the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon Accident, the Invaluable Seagoing Laboratory is up for Sale. Meticulously tended to by a professional crew, and certified for another decade of exploration, the research vessel (R/V) Cape Hatteras has a lot of life left in her. That service may, however, take place in new seas now that the craft is being retired and sold by the Duke - University of North Carolina Oceanographic Consortium (DUNCOC). Constructed for The National Science Foundation in 1981 by Atlantic Marine Ship Builders, the 135-foot craft has been operated and meticulously maintained for 31 years by DUNCOC, and berthed at Duke University Marine Laboratory (DUML) on Pivers Island in Beaufort, North Carolina.

The 3,800-ton Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV) R/V Sikuliaq was launched on Oct. 13, 2012, at Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wis. Sikuliaq (pronounced see-KOO-lee-ack) will be operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences for the National Science Foundation as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. The 261-foot global class ice-capable research vessel R/V Sikuliaq was designed by Glosten Associates. "R/V Sikuliaq is one of the most advanced research vessels in the world," said NSF Director Subra Suresh.

The U.S. Navy christened the newest oceanographic research vessel Kilo Moana (AGOR 26) during a 7:45 a.m. ceremony at Atlantic Marine, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 17, 2001. The Honorable Daniel Inouye, U.S. Senator from Hawaii, was the ceremony’s principal speaker, and his wife, Margaret Inouye served as ship sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition, Mrs. Inouye broke a bottle of champagne across the bow and formally named Kilo Moano, which is Hawaiian for Oceanographer. Kilo Moana is designed to perform a broad spectrum of oceanographic research in coastal and deep ocean areas. Research ranges from physical, biological and chemical oceanography to environmental investigations, ocean surveys, engineering, marine acoustics, marine geology and geophysics.

The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced the shipyard responsible for constructing the next chapter in ocean exploration for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The new research vessel will be owned by ONR for the Department of the Navy and operated by Scripps under charter party agreement. Dakota Creek Industries Inc. (DCI) of Anacortes, Wash., will build AGOR 28, a new “Ocean Class” research vessel that will advance Scripps’ pursuits of the planet’s most vital environmental and scientific challenges. Specifically designed to operate globally, this vessel will support both U.S. Navy and national oceanographic research objectives.

Navy, Industry partner for research; sharing costs, risks, and rewards to reduce total ownership costs . America’s shipyards are fierce competitors, but they can also be close collaborators. The National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) is a cooperative effort for American shipbuilders and the U.S. Navy, with the aim of improving efficiency and economy to reduce the cost of Navy ship construction and repair in American shipyards. According to the Navy’s NSRP program manager Connie Bowling of the Naval Sea Systems Command…

UNOLS (University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System) seeks nominations to fill two Fleet Improvement Committee (FIC) vacancies. The Fleet Improvement Committee works to assure the continuing excellence of the UNOLS Fleet and to assure that the number, mix and overall capability of ships in the UNOLS fleet match the science requirements of academic oceanography in the U.S. This is an important time for the FIC as several stages of new vessel design, construction and transition to operations are in progress. Candidates should be experienced in the UNOLS Fleet and shipboard science activities. The committee membership should represent diverse disciplines and broad geographic interests.

More than three decades ago, marine scientists in the United States first identified the need for a research vessel capable of bringing scientists to Alaska’s icy northern waters. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has announced its intent to award a $123m contract that will meet that need. The university has selected Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wis. to build the 254-ft Alaska Region Research Vessel. When complete, the vessel will be one of the most advanced university research vessels in the world and will be capable of breaking ice up to 2.5 feet thick.