2020 Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment R/V Atlantic Explorer

Bermuda Institute Of Ocean Sciences (Bios), Inc., St. George'S

Investigators

Abstract

A request is made to fund Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment on R/V Atlantic Explorer, a 168’ general purpose research vessel owned and operated by Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS) as part of the United States Academic Research Fleet (ARF). BIOS is a U.S. 501 (c) 3 and 509 (a) not-for-profit research and educational institution incorporated in the state of New York, and geographically located on the Island of Bermuda. The mission of the ship is to support funded science research throughout the Central Atlantic but specifically work in support of the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series (BATS) program. RV Atlantic Explorer had 186 days funded in 2019, all but 6 of which were for NSF. In 2020, the vessel is scheduled to sail 192 days with 156 (81%) of them funded by NSF. With this proposal, BIOS provides technical descriptions and rationale for the acquisition of the following Equipment: Refurbish Markey DESH 5 Winch S/N: 13790 $338,208 Purchase one Hawboldt Standard Winch 42 Series $415,612 $753,820 Broader Impacts The principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 19-602). 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.