Ship Operations- R/V Hugh R. Sharp CY 18-22

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

Overview: This proposal / annual report requests funding to support the operation of the Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp (Sharp) for calendar year 2018 - 2022 on an annual basis. The Sharp is a state-of-the-art, coastal research vessel that is owned and operated by the University of Delaware. The vessel can carry fourteen 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 United States. 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 the Gulf of Mexico, and as far offshore as Bermuda. Operational funding for the SHARP is provided primarily by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as other scientific users. In 2018, R/V Sharp is anticipating 120 days at sea. Projects funded by the National Science Foundation account for 25 days (approximately 21%) of the total projected days in 2018. Intellectual Merit: The SHARP provides direct field support to NSF and other Agency funded science programs, the merit of these programs being determined by the peer review process within the National Science Foundation or other Agency. The Shapr follows all UNOLS requirements for safety and operations, and participates in the NSF Ship Inspection program. The University of Delaware has successfully supported ship operations for NSF for decades, and has an excellent reputation in the Academic Research Fleet. Broader Impacts: The science projects supported by R/V Sharp will directly improve scientific understanding of the marine environment, which leads to improvements to the health and wellbeing of people living in the mid- Atlantic region and beyond. To provide exposure to this important role, the R/V SHARP is an integral part of the public outreach program at the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. The SHARP operations are a focal point on the waterfront during the annual "Coast Day', and open house at the College which typically draws several thousand people. R/V Sharp is instrumental in supporting NSF and UNOLS Early Career and STEM inititaitives. In 2015 the University of Delaware and the Sharp executed an NSF funded Early Career Chief Scientist Workshop and Science Mission that received excellent reviews from the nine participants. In 2017, the Sharp hosted seven STEMSEAS students and two instructors during a seven day transit from a project in the Gulf of Mexico to the ship's home port in Lewes, DE. The students gained significant experience of what life at sea for a researcher is like, as well as the operation of oceanographic equipment and data analysis. Many cruises on the ship support undergraduate and graduate students composing the science party. R/V Sharp and crew have been available for tours of the ship by high school groups, science classes and middle school groups from the local community as well as from neighboring states. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.