OSU/Oceanus Oceanographic Instrumentation

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

A request is made to fund new instrumentation for the R/V Oceanus, a 177-foot research vessel operated by Oregon State University as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) research fleet. The R/V Oceanus is a general-purpose research vessel owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by Oregon State University. The mission of the ship is to support funded science research in the Pacific Northwest. R/V Oceanus completed 168 days in 2018, 125 (75%) of which were for NSF. In 2019, the vessel is scheduled to sail 217 days with 15% (83 days) of the schedule for NSF. With this proposal, OSU provides technical descriptions and rationale for the acquisition of the following Oceanographic Instrumentation: Attitude Sensor Upgrade $10,152 Acoustic Deck Box $15,050 Mooring Deployment System $18,445 $43,647 Broader Impacts The principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 13-589). It provides infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF). The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers. 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.