August 18, 2003

Tentative Agenda

UNOLS Fleet Improvement Committee
National Science Foundation – Room 770
Arlington, VA

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

From outgoing FIC Chair Larry Atkinson:

This meeting marks the change in FIC chairs. It has been an exciting time. In the past few years the FOFC has created a rational ship replacement plan (and now needs revision), SMRs have been developed, demand for research ship use of large vessels is exceeding supply, plans for many new ocean activities related to observatories are reaching fruition, and funding for new ships is as yet uncertain. We have had many successes and it is clear that there are many challenges ahead of you.

FIC activities generally fall into the following categories:

• Interpret trends in ship use and present to community
• Publicly advocate the ship replacement plan
• Develop and update Science Mission Requirements
• Represent the user community during ship design.

In the coming years these activities will remain but new ones will evolve. In the next five years ships will be designed and construction will begin. How this will happen is unknown but it will assuredly have many surprises and present many challenges for those of us who offer our time to the academic research fleet.

I wish you well in the coming years.

0830 Welcome and Introduction – Larry Atkinson, FIC Chair, will open the meeting.

Accept Minutes – Accept the minutes from January 28-29, 2003 FIC Meeting.
Review Agenda and modify as needed

0900 - 1200 Fleet Renewal

The goal of this part of the meeting is to assess where we are in the renewal process, what new information we have, and what actions we should take.

1. The FOFC Plan.

Review by Atkinson noting it is nearing time for an update of the plan.
Update from agencies. Capitalization plans from NSF and Navy.

2. New information relevant to fleet renewal.

• JJMA Regional Class Concept Development Task Review
• SMR status – are updates or additional SMRs needed?
• Reports on assessment of future needs:
  • "Enabling ocean research in the 21st Century: implementation of a network of ocean observatories" NAS Report (in press 2003)
  • UNOLS Observatory Working group
  • Ocean.US regional observatories - Atkinson
• Ship use trends including next year’s schedules – DeSilva
• Lessons Learned from previous R/V construction http://color.mlml.calstate.edu/unols/fic/smr/whatwelearned.html

3. Discussion and action plan. What actions should FIC take?

• Should FIC do its own review and present that to FOFC?
• Further efforts to involve larger user community?

1200 - 1300 Lunch

1300 - Fleet Renewal (continued)

Design and Construction Efforts in Progress:

• Alaska Region Research Vessel - Status and future plans.
• CAPE HENLOPEN Replacement – Status report on plans for construction.
• CAPE HATTERAS Midlife Refit – Status report.
• PELICAN Midlife Refit – Status report
• EWING Mid-Life Refit/Replacement Plans

1500-1530 Break

1530 - KILO MOANA Debriefs

• The debrief responses and post-cruise assessments for 2003 cruises will be reviewed and discussed.
• Debrief Questionnaire – should there be any changes to the questionnaire
• Publications – discuss ways for additional publicity of KILO MOANA’s initial science operations.
• Are additional debriefs needed? - Review the KILO MOANA’s cruise schedule and identify volunteers for each debrief as needed.

Other business and review action items