Last updated 3/16/00
The UNOLS Biennial Review of Sea Going Oceanographic Facilities
Prepared by the
Fleet Improvement Committee
of the
University National Oceanographic Laboratory System

 

 

Prospectus

 

Background: In the past the FIC created a fleet improvement plan about every five years. With the passage of time and the changing environment for funding research vessels it became apparent that the existing mode of planning was not responsive to the realities. At the November 1998 meeting of the Fleet it was decided to publish a Biennial Review that would attempt to illustrate where the fleet is going and what needs should be addressed.

 

Goal
 

The goal of this report is to inform the research community, funding agencies and operators on the state of sea going oceanographic facilities and how these facilities may meet future research needs.

 

The report will do the following:

 

1. Assess the capability of sea going facilities now and for the coming decade.

2. Report trends in research requirements and how the facilities will meet those requirements.

3. Inform researchers on coming changes in facilities and new technologies being included in ship design.

4. Advise funding agencies on future requirements and areas needing R&D.

5. Inform operators on future trends and global and regional scenarios so they may better plan their future.

 

 

The Review is organized into Sections and Chapters as detailed below. Since the Review will be published on the WWW all chapters need not be done at the same time and some chapters may be revised often while others are revised less often.

 

The chapters are as follows along with lead writers:

 
The Future

 

Future Research Requirements – Chairs of NSF Ocean Discipline review committees.

 

This chapter will summarize the results of the NSF review of the future of ocean science so the following discussion of facilities is in the context of science requirements. It will answer the question "What are the new areas of research that oceanography will study in the coming decades?"

 

 Future Observing Systems –

 

This chapter would summarize the reality of what we will need in the future with what is possible. Discussion could range from maintenance of ocean observatories to high sea state observations from new hull designs. This chapter will answer the question "What new observing systems may become available that scientists will want to use?". Of course, we must note that new tools may change the scientific questions that are asked.

 
General Information on the UNOLS Fleet

 

State of the Fleet and Trends in Fleet Use- Larry Atkinson (Old Dominion University), Annette DeSilva, Jack Bash and Mike Prince (UNOLS)

 

What is the state of the fleet and what have been the trends in fleet use? This chapter will present the state of the fleet in terms of size and capability of the ships. The chapter will also look at trends in fleet use including the waxing and waning of large programs, the issue of more bunks per cruise, lab space, and sea state capabilities.

 The Status of the UNOLS Fleet, Changing Requirements, Planning for the Future  by Larry P. Atkinson, John F. Bash, Annette M. DeSilva, Kenneth S. Johnson.

 Historical Perspective of Fleet Replacement and Expansion – UNOLS office and past chairs

 

How did we get to where we are? In the past how did fleet expansions occur? What has caused change in the fleet over time?

History of UNOLS - by Robert Dinsmore

 

 New Assets - Chris Measures (University of Hawaii) This chapter will present the ships that are now in the planning or construction phase. This would include the Hawaii Swath, Savannah, WHOI coastal Swath, etc. Because of the nature of the chapter it would require updating regularly.

Chapter Outline by Chris Measures

 
Specific Topics – New types of vessels

 

Icebreakers - Jim Swift (Scripps Insititution of Oceanography)

 

This chapter will review the status of ice strengthened hulls for ocean research. Also considered will be: vessel needs in the Arctic and Antarctic, critical issues in research (polynas, etc.).

 

 Seismic Vessels – Paul Ljunggren and John Diebold (Columbia University)

 

This chapter will review the status and trends in vessels specialized for seismic observations. Special note will be made of the progress made in the petroleum industry.

 

 Swath Vessels – Joe Coburn (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

 

SWATH vessels offer the oceanographic community the opportunity to work at sea in higher sea states than previously possible on small vessels. This chapter will review the successes and failures of SWATH vessels. The chapter will educate the reader on the attributes of SWATH designs. The status of SWATH vessels worldwide will be reviewed as well as the future in the US.

 

 Remote Operated Vehicles - Author(s) yet to be identified Remote  present a new way of observing the ocean and place new requirements on the ships for deployment, retrieval and maintenance. This chapter will review ROV technology and the special requirements it places on ships.

 

 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles - Author(s) yet to be identified
Autonomous underwater vehicles  present a new way of observing the ocean and place new requirements on the ships for deployment, retrieval and maintenance. This chapter will review AUV technology and the special requirements it places on ships.
Ocean Observatories - Author(s) yet to be identified The ability to leave instruments at remote undersea locations for months and years is changing the character of oceanography. What are the classes of observatories and what special demands to they put on the research fleet?

 
Fisheries and Hydrographic Surveying
 

Fisheries Surveys - Author(s) yet to be identified

NOAA has the responsibility of assessing the state of the nations fisheries stock. NOAA is in the process of developing a new fleet of fisheries survey ships. How will this affect the research fleet and can research fleet be adapted to perform some of the NOAA required surveys? Hydrographic Surveys – Sam DeBow
Hydrographic surveying used to be done solely by NOAA but is now being contracted out at an every increasing rate. How is this process affecting the UNOLS fleet and are there any opportunities there?
 
Technical Issues

 

New Regulations – Joe Coburn (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Regulations are ever changing but recent and newly adopted rulings may well make fundamental changes in the way scientists work at sea.
 Impact of New Regulations - by Joe Coburn

Shore Side and Shipboard Technical Support - John Freitag (University of Rhode Island)

The support of technical experts at research ship home ports and at other institutions has grown to be an expected and valuable part of research ship operations. What have been the trends in this support and what may affect it in the future.
On board ships we have evolved from a expecting merely depth and location to CTD’s, ADCP’s, meteorological and internet communications. What is supported at present and what will be needed in the future? How will these demands affect costs?