Ship Operations

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

0070036 Knox The University of California-San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD-SIO) will operate the R/Vs Roger Revelle, Melville, New Horizon, and the Robert Gordon Sproul during 2000 as general oceanographic research vessels in support of NSF-supported research projects. The R/V Revelle is a 275 ft. vessel, constructed in 1996, owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by UCSD-SIO. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 313 operational days during 2000, of which 206 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support Navy projects. The projects scheduled on the Revelle represent several oceanographic disciplines and include projects such as ASIAEX, borehole instrument testing, and the HOME Project. The scheduled projects will fully utilize the capabilities of the vessel. Operations will take place off the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Honolulu, San Diego and will end the year off of South America in preparation for NSF 2001 cruises. The Revelle underwent a shipyard period in late 1999 to complete the installation of a deep profiling doppler sonar system to be used for the 2000 NSF HOME project. The R/V Melville is a 279 ft. vessel, constructed in 1969 and refitted in 1989 and 1992, and is owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by UCSD-SIO. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 266 operational days during 2000, of which 244 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support other private and Federal agency projects. The projects scheduled on the Melville represent several oceanographic disciplines that will fully utilize the capabilities of the vessel, including LexEn microbiology research, OBS recoveries, SEA BEAM surveys, and use of DSL-120 and ARGO II vehicles. The Melville will undergo an overhaul period in the beginning of 2000. Operations later in the year will take place near the northern Eastern Pacific Rise, South America and the South Pacific. The R/V New Horizon is a 170 ft. vessel, constructed in 1978 and refitted in 1995-1996, and is owned and operated by UCSD-SIO. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 145 operational days during 2000, of which 54 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support Navy, NOAA and other private projects. The projects scheduled on the New Horizon represent several oceanographic disciplines and will fully utilize the capabilities of the vessel. Several operations will take place in central California, the rest will take place around San Diego. There are two significant non-operating periods in the New Horizon's schedule. The R/V Sproul is a 125 ft. vessel, constructed in 1981, and owned and operated by UCSD-SIO. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 95 operational days during 2000, of which 36 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support Navy, USGS, MMS, NOPP, and other private projects. The projects on the Sproul represent several oceanographic disciplines including biological oceanography, instrumentation testing, and MOCNESS projects, and will fully utilize the capabilities of the vessel. Operations will take place around San Diego. The R/Vs Revelle, Melville, New Horizon, and Sproul are part of a fleet of ships used by the National Science Foundation in support of marine science research. Most oceanographic projects require highly specialized equipment to be permanently installed on the vessels, thus the necessity for specialized ships. These vessels do not operate in the same mode as general cargo/fishing vessels. As a result, NSF supports the operation of a variety of ships specifically dedicated to oceanographic research that are operated by universities and institutions around the country. ***