Ship Operations

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

The R/V HUGH R. SHARP is a state-of-the-art, coastal research vessel which is owned and operated by the University of Delaware. The vessel can carry fourteen to twenty scientists on cruises up to eighteen days in duration, and supports projects from all disciplines of oceanography. The vessel is a regional asset, serving researchers from many institutions throughout the mid-Atlantic. The vessel typically operates in the coastal waters from Long Island, New York, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as well as the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. Projects occasionally require the vessel to work as far north as the Gulf of Maine, as far south as Florida, and as far offshore as Bermuda. In 2006, the R/V SHARP is scheduled for 201 days at sea. The National Science Foundation funded projects account for over 50% of the total days. Intellectual Merit: The R/V HUGH R. SHARP provides direct field support to NSF funded science programs. For example, Bauer (VIMS), will be starting a collaborative research project investigating the impact of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and photooxidation on carbon cycling in estuaries.The intellectual merit of the proposal lies in the funded science program. This proposal is for support of a research platform. Broader Impacts: The science projects supported will directly improve scientific understanding of the marine environment, which may in turn improve the health and well being of people living in the mid-Atlantic and beyond. To provide exposure to this important role, the R/V HUGH R. SHARP is an integral part of the public outreach program at the College of Marine Studies. When not at sea, it will be a focal point on the waterfront during Coast Day, an annual open house at the College which draws nearly ten thousand people.