Ship Operations

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

0070339 Pittenger Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will operate R/Vs Atlantis, Knorr and Oceanus during 2000 as a general oceanographic research vessel in support of NSF-supported research projects. The R/V Atlantis is a 274 ft. vessel, constructed in 1997, and is owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by WHOI. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 303 operational days during 2000, of which 262 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support NOAA and other private projects. The projects scheduled on the Atlantis represent several oceanographic disciplines and will fully utilize the capabilities of the vessel. Operations will take place in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in support of submersible operations of the National Deep Submergence Facility utilizing DSV Alvin, ARGO II, Jason, and DSL-120. Cruises will take place in the Gulf of California, Northern East Pacific Rise, Juan de Fuca Ridge, Gulf of Mexico, and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The ship will return to Woods Hole in December 2000 for the overhaul of the DSV Alvin. Scheduled maintenance on the Atlantis will take place in part of February and March. The R/V Knorr is a 279 ft. vessel, constructed in 1969 and refitted from 1989 to 1991, and owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by WHOI. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 311 operational days during 2000, of which 221 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support Navy projects. The projects scheduled on the Knorr represent several oceanographic disciplines, utilizing full capabilities of the vessel. Projects scheduled include LWAD, Prod Drill testing, mooring deployments, and use of Jason. The vessel will operate in the North and South Atlantic Ocean: Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Brazil Basin, and Sargasso Sea; the Mediterranean; and off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. A maintenance period is planned for mid-October to mid-November. The R/V Oceanus is a 177 ft. vessel, constructed in 1975, and owned by NSF and operated by UCSD-SIO. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 140 operational days during 2000, of which 69 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support Navy, NOAA, and USGS projects. The projects scheduled on the Oceanus support several oceanographic disciplines and will fully utilize the capabilities of the vessel. Scheduled cruises are in support of the ECOHAB Program, seismic/OBH work, mooring deployments and Navy acoustic programs. Operations will take place off the North Atlantic Coast on the U.S. Continental Shelf and the Grand Banks. The ship will be out of service the first three months and last two months of the year. The R/Vs Atlantis, Knorr, and Oceanus 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. ***