Virginia Institute Of Marine Science News

A new research vessel for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has completed sea trials and is transiting to its home port in Virginia.The new vessel, the R/V Virginia, will support the institution’s fisheries research projects and greatly expand VIMS’ capability to perform general oceanographic research in the Chesapeake Bay as well as mid-Atlantic coastal waters. Interest in the new research vessel is already growing rapidly as next season is almost fully booked with science cruises.The 93-foot vessel was built by Meridien Maritime Reparation.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science of Gloucester Point, Va. awarded a contract to Meridien Maritime Reparation of Matane, Quebec to construct a 93-foot research vessel. JMS Naval Architects of Mystic, Conn. designed the research vessel to replace VIMS’s current vessel, the R/V Bay Eagle. The primary mission of the Institute’s fleet is to provide inshore and offshore work platforms for the support of fisheries related oceanographic research projects. The new vessel will be capable of conducting fisheries assessments of greater capacity…

JMS Naval Architects will complete the Contract Design Package next month of a 93-foot research vessel for Virginia Institute of Marine Science to replace its current research vessel, R/V Bay Eagle. A solicitation will be issued to shipyards by the end of the year. The primary mission of the Institute’s fleet is to provide inshore and offshore work platforms for the support of fisheries related oceanographic research projects. The new vessel will be capable of conducting fisheries assessments of greater capacity in deeper waters and with a larger science complement than the Bay Eagle.

JMS Naval Architects of Mystic, Ct. was competitively awarded a contract from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to provide concept through contract-level design, shipyard bid support, and owner’s rep services for VIMS’ next research vessel. The VIMS research vessel will be used for scientific research in the main stem and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, and capable of conducting extended science missions in coastal and offshore areas within the Mid-Atlantic region. The JMS Coastal Research Vessel Series concept-model provides a multi-purpose…

On March 25, the Subcommittees on Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation and on Water Resources & Environment of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure conducted a joint hearing on Ballast Water Management. The purpose of the hearing was to examine the international ballast water standards recently agreed to by the IMO and to review reauthorization of the National Invasive Species Act (NISA). RADM Thomas Gilmour, USCG, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection, testified that the new international convention sets reasonable standards, while allowing individual port states to establish more stringent requirements. Joseph J. Cox, Shipping Industry Ballast Water Coalition, testified in support of international regime adopted at IMO.

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Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) received national recognition for its assistance in the development of a ballast-water processing system designed to reduce the introduction of invasive foreign plankton transported by cargo ships. The project with Old Dominion University and Browning Transport Management was selected as "outstanding" in the technology assistance category of the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers (NAMTAC) Project of the Year Awards competition. The award was presented last night at the NAMTAC 2002 Fall Awards Banquet in Asheville, NC, to Robert Harrell, CIT's vice president of regional operations. The award is CIT's 16th NAMTAC award in the past 10 years.