APPENDIX IX

UNOLS FLEET IMPROVEMENT PLAN 1995

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF FLEET

BENEFITS

• COMPETITION
• DIVERSITY
• REDUCED TRANSITS AND GREATER LOGISTICAL CONVENIENCE
• FACILITATION OF LOCAL STUDIES
• EDUCATION OF STUDENTS & FACULTY RECRUITMENT

POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGES

• LACK OF STANDARDIZATION
• INCREASED COST PER DAY OF SHIP USE

CONCLUSION

ANY CHANGE IN THE PRESENT DISTRIBUTION OF SHIPS SHOULD BE APPROACHED CAUTIOUSLY..

CHANGES, IF ANY, SHOULD BE BASED ON THE CRITERIA ABOVE

UNOLS FLEET IMPROVEMENT PLAN - 1995

• LONG RANGE FACILITIES PROJECTIONS QUOTES WITHOUT COMMENT
• DEPROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AT NSF HAS CONSISTENTLY LAGGED BEHIND EVEN PESSIMISTIC PROJECTIONS .
• CEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AT ONR HAS NOT BEEN GROWING... NO OBVIOUS REASON FOR EXPECTING ANY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE 1990s.
• DOE OCEANS MARGIN PROGRAM (HAS) BEEN SMALL AND DECLINING.
• NO MAJOR INITIATIVES IN OCEAN SCIENCE SEEM LIKELY FROM MMS, DOE, EPA, USGS OR ANY OTHER AGENCY.
• MODEL 1 - PROSPERITY
• MODEL 2 - AUSTERITY
• BUDGET PROJECTIONS ... STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT OCEAN SCIENCE ... WILL BE FACING SLOWLY RISING OR LEVEL FUNDING DURING .. DECADE.
• TWO INITIATIVES MAY CHANGE PROJECTION: ... COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE AND ... RESEARCH IN ... THE ARCTIC.

R/V ROGER REVELLE (AGOR 24)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF AVAILABILITY FOR USE IN 1996

• Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• University of California, San Diego

October, 1994

Scripps Institution of Oceanography is please to inform the oceanographic community that RN Roger Revelle (AGOR 24) will begin service as a UNOLS ship in mid-1996. The following preliminary information about the ship is offered to assist scientists in writing research proposals to use the ship in the latter part of 1996....

Background

SIO was competitively selected by the U.S. Navy in mid-1991 to operate AGOR 24. The construction contract for the vessel was awarded by the navy to Halter Marine, Inc. of Moss Point, Mississippi, in January 1993. The ship is scheduled for launch in early 1995, and for delivery to SIO in mid-1996. The delivery date could be somewhat earlier, perhaps March-April 1996, but this will not be known until nearer the date.

Following delivery, SIO contemplates a period of 1-2 months of additional work to make the ship fully ready for service, to bring her to San Diego, and to test various scientific and ship systems. Once this is done, the ship should be ready for general oceanographic work across the disciplines, for approximately the last half of 1996 and beyond. Prudence dictates that the early cruises of the ship take place in the Pacific, within reasonable range of a useful port. About 9 months after delivery the ship must be back in San Diego for final navy inspections and any required repairs of problems emerging in early service. Otherwise the scheduling and track of the ship are unconstrained....

Scheduling

RV Roger Revelle will be a regular member of the UNOLS fleet. Research proposals and ship time requests for use of the ship should follow the same UNOLS and funding agency procedures as for existing vessels.

UNOLS FLEET IMPROVEMENT PLAN - 1995

RECOMMENDATIONS

• ENCOURAGE AGENCIES TO REQUIRE LONG-RANGE (5-10 YEAR)

FACILITIES PROJECTIONS FROM THEIR EXISTING AND ONGOING PROGRAMS.

• ARCTIC RESEARCH VESSEL BE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ACQUISITION
• FOR OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH.
• SCIENCE MISSION REQUIREMENT AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR SHALLOW-WATER,
• HIGH CAPABILITY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY COASTAL VESSEL.
• ENCOURAGE REGIONAL OR NATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS TO SHARE CERTAIN EXPENSIVE

EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES USED IN COASTAL RESEARCH.

• FEDERAL AND ACADEMIC SEAGOING SCIENTISTS IMPROVE COOPERATION.
• UNOLS VESSELS CONTINUE AS PRIMARY SOURCE OF SEAGOING FACILITIES FOR THE
• ACADEMIC OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMUNITY.
• COLLABORATION BETWEEN AGENCIES AND UNOLS THAT PRESERVES DISTRIBUTED OPERATION.
• RECOMMENDS AGAINST CENTRAL MANAGEMENT BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE INDUSTRY.
• AGENCIES THAT SUPPORT UNOLS SHIP OPERATIONS EVALUATE GEOGRAPHICAL
• DISTRIBUTION OF YEAR 2000 FLEET.
• ASSIGN EXISTING AND / OR NEW SHIPS TO MAINTAIN BALANCE.
• STRONG SCIENTIFIC JUSTIFICATION FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY BROAD DISTRIBUTION.

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