HIGHLIGHTS

· Comments from the Chair
· Proposed Revisions to the UNOLS Charter
· UNOLS 1998 Annual Meeting
· 1998 UNOLS Council Elections
· UNOLS Committee News
· RVOC Safety Video
· ROPOS has Time Available in 1999
· Welcome Aboard
· INMARTECH ‘98 Program Agenda
· NSF Academic Research Fleet Review
· UNOLS Meeting Calendar
 
 

Comments from the UNOLS Chair...

Dear Colleague,

 My term as UNOLS Chair is coming to an end in September.  Precedent would have me make some hard recommendations here.  I'd rather take this occasion to thank all of the people I've had a chance to work with.  The past four years have been an extremely rewarding experience.  Much of my enjoyment has come from the opportunity to work with an outstanding group of people.  A colleague recently suggested to me that we needed a monolithic research fleet, rather than the very diverse operation that characterizes UNOLS.  He felt that a monolithic operation could make the tough decisions needed to manage the fleet more effectively.  I disagreed strongly.  I like to equate UNOLS with the quote about democracy: While UNOLS is not perfect, I don't know of any system that is better.  It's the people that make UNOLS as good as it is.  They bring a diversity of views to UNOLS that creates its strength.  The UNOLS Council and the UNOLS Committees are composed of individuals with academic research and operational perspectives.  Their scientific interests range from deep-submergence science to Arctic research and they have expertise that extends from operating ships to maintaining marine technician groups.  They are involved in UNOLS because of their desire to operate a fleet that does the best oceanographic science in the world.  Hard choices are not easily made in the UNOLS system.  The diverse group of people involved in UNOLS make the right decisions.

 UNOLS has built a number of partnerships in the past four years that have become very successful.  I'd especially like to thank the people that have helped bring these to fruition.  Captain Dieter Rudolph, Mr. Gordon Wilkes and Commander Jim Trees pioneered a partnership between UNOLS and the Naval Oceanographic Office.  The collaboration has been outstanding.  I've thoroughly enjoyed working with NOAA personnel, including Alan Thomas, Steve Piotrowicz and Commander Elizabeth White at OAR and Jim Meehan at NMFS.  The NOAA-UNOLS agreement that has resulted will allow scientists from academia and NOAA expanded access to the ocean and it will ensure efficient utilization of our nation’s sea going platforms.  The interactions with the USCG and their new ship MICHAEL HEALY are especially promising.  Commander George Dupree has smoothed the administrative bumps while Captain Greg Johnson and Commander Ian Grunther have ensured that the ship is well built and outfitted for its science mission.  The Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) under the leadership of Admiral Jim Watkins has been a strong advocate of UNOLS.  Rick Spinrad, Terry Schaff and Dan Schwartz all played key roles in defining and making the CORE-UNOLS interaction work.  Their efforts in the public policy arena have had a far reaching and very positive impact on UNOLS.

 As always, though, the National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research have been the main supporters of UNOLS.  Don Heinrichs and Dolly Dieter at NSF have been both our harshest critics and strongest supporters.  Their leadership has been the key component in making the fleet work.  Sujata Millick and Pat Dennis at ONR have made the major capital acquisitions supported by the Navy go forward smoothly.  Their continued efforts within the Navy have been especially useful in broadening support for the UNOLS fleet.

 Finally, I'd especially like to thank the staff at the UNOLS office, Jack Bash, Annette DeSilva and Mary D'Andrea, for their excellent work.  They made it easy to be the UNOLS Chair.  The job would have been impossible without them.

 It's been a pleasure to work with all of you and I'm confident that the fleet is in good hands.

Ken Johnson
UNOLS Chair
 
 

Revisions are Proposed to the UNOLS Charter
by Clare Reimers, Rutgers University

UNOLS members will be asked to vote on the adoption of a revised UNOLS Charter at the September 17, 1998 UNOLS Annual Meeting in Arlington, VA.  The current Charter states that Charter amendments require a two-thirds vote of the UNOLS Institutions and that the Charter must be modified or readopted by vote every three years.  The last time the Charter was readopted was in September 1995.

 The proposed changes in the Charter address community concerns about UNOLS membership and organization.  Additionally, the annexes that describe the function of the Ship Scheduling Committee, the DEep Submergence Science Committee and the Fleet Improvement Committee are updated.  The change most debated by the UNOLS Council would allow a consortium of institutions to become a UNOLS member provided no constituent institution of that consortium was a member.  Another change would open the UNOLS Council Chair to candidates from any UNOLS member institution rather than from only operating institutions.

 The UNOLS Office distributed copies of the modified Charter to members in mid-August.  It is important that member representatives be present at the Annual Meeting to vote on the revisions.
 

 
UNOLS ANNUAL MEETING

Thursday - September 17, 1998 - 8:30 a.m.
National Science Foundation, Room 1235
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA

  The UNOLS Annual Meeting is planned for September 17, 1998 at the National Science Foundation.  This meeting is open to all investigators, users, operators and sponsors of university oceanographic facilities.  It is a public forum for discussing the utilization and scheduling of research vessels and other facilities as well as their support and future planning.

 The meeting will include an interesting venue of events.  After a keynote address, UNOLS Committee Chairs will report on their activities over the past year and plans for the future.  Paul Ljunggren, RVOC Chair, will review plans for the 4-6 November Annual RVOC meeting.  Mike Perfit, outgoing DESSC Chair, will report on 1998 ATLANTIS, ALVIN and ROV operations, and equipment/instrumentation upgrades, and improvements for the National Deep Submergence Facility.  He will also report on deep submergence operations planned for 1999 and beyond.  Larry Atkinson, FIC Chair, will provide an update on development of Science Mission Requirements.  Don Moller, SSC Chair, will review the recommendations of the September Ship Scheduling and Schedule Review meetings.  He will summarize the UNOLS ship operation plans and total days scheduled for 1999.  John Freitag, RVTEC Chair, will report on plans for the RVTEC Annual Meeting scheduled for 19 October and the 1998 International Marine Technician symposium (INMARTECH ‘98) scheduled for 20-22 October at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  Jim Swift, AICC Chair, will report on the status of science modifications for the USCG Ice Breaker HEALY.  He will also review Science of Opportunity operations performed in 1998 and those planned for the future.

 Federal Agencies representatives will be on hand to report on 1998 activities and forecasts for 1998 and beyond.  The Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) will report on various activities of interest to UNOLS.

 Other presentations will include a report by Robert Hinton of the University of Hawaii on the status of the AGOR 26 design process along with information on the vessel’s construction plans.  Ellen Kappel of the Joint Oceanographic Institution will provide a progress report on the SeaNet project and review plans for its installation onto selected UNOLS vessels.

   Various issues of interest to UNOLS members have arisen during the year and will be open for discussion.  These issues include the NSF Academic Research Fleet Review, the National Ocean Conference, the UNOLS Town Hall meeting and future public outreach plans, the status and outlook for NOPP, NOAA’s fishery needs, future uses of SEA CLIFF, ATV retirement plans, ship scheduling improvements, USCG regulations and their impact on crewing requirements, and ship construction, and  replacement plans for BLUE FIN and CALANUS.  The new RVOC Safety Video will be available for viewing.
 
 A proposed revision to the UNOLS Charter will be presented for membership vote.  Additionally, four applications for UNOLS membership have been received and will be voted on. The applications are from the University of California at Santa Cruz, Southern California Marine Institute, New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium and the University of Minnesota, Duluth.  Elections for UNOLS Council positions will be held including the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair.
 
 

 1998 UNOLS COUNCIL ELECTIONS

 The UNOLS Nominating Committee has assembled a slate of candidates for the UNOLS Council positions to be filled at the 1998 Annual Meeting.  The election will be held in accordance with the UNOLS Charter as readopted September 1995.

 In February/March 1998, the nominating committee was formed and includes Dennis Hansell (BBSR), Chair; Clare Reimers (Rutgers University) and Peter Lonsdale (SIO).   A call for nominations was announced in April/May.  The announcements were sent out via the UNOLS newsletter, EOS, and letters to the UNOLS representatives and Deans/Directors of member institutions.  In July, a second letter was sent to the UNOLS institutions calling for additional nominations for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair.  As a result of these calls, the slate was assembled and is included below.

 Nominations are invited from the floor during the Annual Meeting.  Such nominations may be made only by designated representatives of UNOLS institutions, and must be accompanied by the nominee's concurrence and qualifications.  The nominee must meet the requirements of the UNOLS Council position he/she is nominated to fill.

 This year’s slate is as follows:

UNOLS CHAIR (2 year term):
 Dr. Robert Knox  Scripps Institution of Oceanography

UNOLS VICE-CHAIR (2 year term):
 Dr. Thomas Royer  Old Dominion University

NON-OPERATOR REPRESENTATIVE (3 year term) - from among designated UNOLS Member Non-Operator institutions:
 Dr. James Bauer   Virginia Institute of Marine Science
 Mr. Alessandro Bocconcelli  University of North Carolina at Wilmington
 Dr. Charles Flagg      Brookhaven National Laboratory

AT-LARGE (3 year term) - individual affiliated with any UNOLS Member Institution:
 Dr. Eric Firing   University of Hawaii
 Dr. Thomas Lee   University of Miami, RSMAS
 Dr. Marsh Youngbluth  Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution

SPECIAL COUNCIL SLATE

In the event that a current Council Member is elected as a Council Officer, thereby vacating his/her seat as a Council member, the following slate of candidates is presented for election:

AT-LARGE (3 year term) - individual affiliated with any UNOLS Member Institution:
 Dr. William Bryant  Texas A&M University
 Dr. Timothy Cowles  Oregon State University
 Dr. Daniel Fornari  Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
 Dr. John Tochko  Johns Hopkins University, APL
 
 

UNOLS Committee News

DEep Submergence Science Committee
by Mike Perfit, Outgoing DESSC Chair

  In June, the DESSC held its annual summer meeting at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).  The WHOI operators provided the committee with an update regarding current operations and plans for future upgrades.  Since the last Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) at the beginning of this year, operations on the ATLANTIS have been going very well.  Some of the major problems that were affecting the new ship were addressed during the PSA; others will continue to be worked on over the next year.  DESSC was made aware of the operators plans for upgrading ATLANTIS in the coming months (e.g. further work on the HVAC, propulsion control systems, clean lab power supply, crane upgrades, noise abatement).  The operators and DESSC will work together to get input from the science community to prioritize these upgrades.  PIs who have had recent cruises on ATLANTIS, are encouraged to send comments and suggestions to the UNOLS Office and the DESSC Chair regarding any problems they may have encountered and priorities for future upgrades.  The next major overhaul will not take place for another two years, approximately in mid-late 2000.
 ALVIN and ROV work has been very successful.  Bottom time with ALVIN has increased (avg. 5.2 hrs). A number of advances with imaging, mapping and navigation have been made with Jason.  The WHOI operators have continued to work on upgrades to the vehicles that the community requested and were funded through the Federal agencies. WHOI is continuing to work on the data logging and navigation systems, video upgrades, scanning sonar, a “virtual ALVIN” computer model and a ring laser gyroscope.  WHOI has also funded a steerable elevator for Jason that will be tested later this year.  WHOI and the DESSC are soliciting ideas for future upgrades to the vehicles from the deep submergence community.

 At the suggestion of DESSC, the WHOI operators have instituted a new “Science Liaison” position to help facilitate cruise planning and to act as a science coordinator.  They are in the process of searching for an assistant coordinator and staff assistant now.  After years of dedicated service, Don Moller is retiring from his position in Dec. 1998. A search has been conducted to replace him.  He certainly will be missed.

 Scheduling for ALVIN and the ROVs for ‘99 and beyond is beginning.  There is again a good deal of proposal pressure for the traditional “yo-yo” regions (JdF-N EPR) but more proposals are coming in for S. EPR, Atlantic and Gulf of Alaska.  NOAA/NURP plans to award 21 dives in the N. Pacific and Gulf of Alaska in 1999.  The DESSC has had some success in developing global deep submergence initiatives and encourages proposals for the SW Pacific and Indian Ocean that could lead to field programs as early as 2000.

 SEACLIFF has been decommissioned and transferred to WHOI.  The Federal agencies have funded an engineering study to be undertaken by WHOI to assess the potential uses of SEACLIFF and costs involved.  The results of this study will be made available to the Federal agencies and DESSC.

 The DESSC is developing a “White Paper” that will begin to address the future needs of deep submergence science and deep submergence science initiatives beyond 2000.  Of particular interest is the role ROVs and AUVs will play in future deep submergence research and the depth range, operational capabilities and sensors they will need to have to do this work. That document will be a precursor to wider community involvement and discussions regarding the development of new facilities in the near future.  The first community meeting regarding the future science requirements for deep submergence science will take place in late January 1999.  Look for announcements in the near future.

 Mike Perfit has completed his three year term as DESSC Chair.  During the Summer meeting, the committee deliberated on candidates provided by letters of interest and nominations solicited from the scientific community.  Dr. Patty Fryer, from the University of Hawaii and a present DESSC member, was selected to replace him as Chair by the committee.  In addition, two other members of the committee (Hugh Milburn and Carl Wirsen) rotated off of the DESSC and nominations to replace them were provided to UNOLS.  These people will be contacted during the fall so that they can be installed by the December meeting.

Research Vessel Operators’ Committee Activities
by Paul Ljunggren, RVOC Chair

  RVOC is currently preparing its agenda for the 1998 RVOC meeting. This year's meeting will be hosted by the University of Hawaii and is scheduled for 4-6 November. The current version of the draft agenda includes a variety of reports.  The University of Hawaii, RSMAS, Skidaway, and UConn will report on their respective new ships or ship construction plans.  A presentation by Jamestown Marine Services reviewing their efforts as they relate to the NSF Ship Inspection Program will be provided.  The Medical Advisory Service (MAS) will report on their organization and the services they provide (MAS was awarded the contract to provide emergency medical advice to the UNOLS Fleet).

 Four topics are being considered for the seminar/workshop scheduled for 5 November. Three of these topics reflect the worldwide emphasis now being placed on the ship's personnel and their training, while the fourth possible topic would deal with ship yard related issues. The topics under consideration include:

 STCW Awareness Training (ABS Seminar) - The impact of the 1995 Amendments to the International Convention on the Training and Certification of Watchkeeping for Seafarers will be addressed.  Issues to be discussed include transitional provisions, certification, new requirements and various training information.

  Safety, Human Element, and Ergonomics - This seminar will highlight the important links between personal safety, the human element, and ergonomics.   The program will describe issues and discuss suitable techniques for addressing personal safety, describe some human element factors linked to managing safety and identify the application of ergonomics in the marine system.

  ISM - An overview of  the International Safety Management (ISM) Code will be provided. What are the requirements of the ISM Code? How do you obtain certification and who can issue the certificates? What kind of audits of your system are required? What are the implications of being certificated and not being certificated with the increased emphasis of port state control? How do you go about implementing the ISM Code?

 Shipyard Periods - An expert with experience in shipyard operations  and knowledge of vessels management will lead this seminar. The seminar will provide instructions  for the preparation of effective bid packages and recommendations for the successful  management of the contracted work by the owner's rep. Practical aspects of shipyard periods, such as, when and how to propose change orders will be discussed.

 Among the items on the business agenda, Paul Ljunggren, Chair; and Steve Rabalais, Vice Chair; are completing their first two year term of office and an election will be held.

 The Safety Committee has been at work on two items this year.  The first being the RVOC Safety Video which is intended to be used to acquaint science crews with safety aboard UNOLS vessels and address the issues covered in Chapter 1 of the RVOC Safety Training Manual. The final version of the video is ready for distribution to ships and institutions.  The second item is the revisions to the RVOC Safety Standards. Each of the sections has been reviewed and changes have been forwarded to the Safety Committee Chair, Tom Smith.  A draft of the recommended changes will be sent to RVOC members for review and comment.

Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC)
(A summary of activities as reported by John Freitag, RVTEC Chair, for the summer Council Meeting.)
 

  RVTEC activities for the first half of this year have concentrated mainly in two areas.  The first is the upcoming RVTEC and INMARTECH ‘98 meeting scheduled to be held in La Jolla, CA on 19-22 October.  To date, the RVTEC meetings have involved participants from UNOLS institutions, NSF, ONR, NOAA, NAVO and ASA.  Last year RVTEC was joined by representatives from the Polar operations group of the U.S. Coast Guard.  The 1998 meeting in La Jolla will be unique in that it will involve groups from the international community.  This effort resulted from a successful INMARTECH ‘96 in Southampton, England in which technical groups from the international community gathered for a joint meeting.  Subsequent to this meeting efforts were made to include U.S. representation and through the efforts of the International Ship Operators’ Committee, NSF and RVTEC a decision was made to host an international meeting here in the United States.

 The RVTEC group will meet for a one day session on 19 October prior to the international meeting which will last for three days.  Present plans include workshops on several subjects of interest to Marine Technicians, a reception and poster session at the Birch Aquarium, and a tour of the SIO Marine Facilities including a ship tour of MELVILLE.

 In other activities, RVTEC has been working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and the AICC in planning the scientific ice trial of the new Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC HEALY.

 The Coast Guard is examining a variation of the UNOLS model for technical staffing of the vessel.  Toward this end they have sent Coast Guard Marine Science Technicians out on UNOLS vessels in order to become acquainted with the UNOLS way of providing technical support at sea.

Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee
(A summary of activities as reported by Jim Swift, AICC Chair, for the summer Council Meeting)

  Science of Opportunity (SOO) Programs -  In 1998 a Science of Opportunity (SOO) program was conducted in the western Arctic.  This program was preceded by the planned sequence of announced opportunity, assessment of proposals to participate for logistics suitability and compatibility, notification of PIs, selection of a Chief Scientist, and then leaving the program to the Coast Guard and participants.  Earlier notice for a SOO program is expected for 1999. The first phase of the new Shelf-Basin Interactions initiative may bring unprecedented interest in using Coast Guard vessels for Science of Opportunity missions.

 HEALY Science Systems Testing - A science systems testing program for USCGC HEALY is rapidly taking shape.  This is science-oriented testing, and differs substantially from the builder's-type tests that are part of construction acceptance.  An announcement of opportunity was sent to UNOLS Operators and support groups.  As a result, individuals and teams were identified for each science system test under consideration.

 HEALY Science Systems Outfitting - An ongoing effort of the AICC is to clarify the science systems, including spares and accessories, to be delivered with USCGC HEALY, and to recommend to the Coast Guard a prioritized "wish list" to eventually bring the ship into line in this regard with the large UNOLS vessels.  This ranges from spare CTD systems to an isotope van.

Fleet Improvement Committee Continues Development of
Science Mission Requirements

  FIC has two Science Mission Requirement (SMR) activities in progress at this time.  The committee to develop an SMR for a vessel suitable for work in the shallow waters of the east coast continental shelf and bays includes Gus Paffenhofer (SKIO), Charlie Flagg (BNL), Al Hine (SFU), Mary Scranton (SUNY, Stony Book), Clare Reimers (Rutgers), and Larry Atkinson, Chair (ODU).  The committee is working from existing SMRs for Class III and IV vessels and at this point each committee member has provided their own assessment of requirements.  A meeting is planned for 23 September to consolidate the committee’s input and prioritize the SMRs.

 The second SMR effort is to develop a Science Mission Requirement document for a vessel suitable for work in the Alaska region.  The committee is lead by co-chairs Drs. Tom Weingartner and Vera Alexander, both from the University of Alaska.  Other members include George Hunt (UC Irvine), John Christensen (Bigelow Laboratory), Larry Atkinson (ODU), and Jim Meehan (NOAA/NMFS).  The Alaska SMR committee has a more difficult task as it must consider not only the needs of general oceanographic research in Alaska waters but also ice strengthening and fisheries research.  A draft plan should be ready in the fall.
 
 

 
RVOC Safety Video

 The RVOC Safety Video is complete and ready for distribution.  The Safety Committee met on 10 June to review a draft version of the Science Safety Video under production by Jamestown Marine Services. The film, with an introduction by Dr. Robert Gagosian, was shot on board R/V ENDEAVOR with special effects and graphics provided by Jamestown Marine. After minor editing corrections, as recommended by the Safety Committee, the final version has been completed. Master copies will be provided to the UNOLS Office and each UNOLS Operator. UNOLS will retain the right to copy and distribute the film as they deem appropriate. The Safety Committee was very pleased with the film and felt that it will provide valuable information to the scientists using UNOLS ships.
 
 

 
 ROPOS has time available in 1999
 
 The ROPOS remotely operated deep submersible is now available for much of the 1999 Northern Hemisphere summer. If you have any underwater intervention requirements for 1999, you can contact Keith Shephard or John Garrett as soon as possible to discuss your needs.  Their contact information is provided below.  If you have questions about the system or about the progress of 1998 operations, check the ROPOS web-site at http://www.ropos.com.  A full 5000m depth capability for the summer of 1999 is expected.

 If you have an interest in using ROPOS at some later time, this would also be a good time to start a dialogue.

For additional information, contact:
Keith Shepherd, General Manager, Tel: (250)363-6332, Fax (250) 363-6357, e-mail:  shepherd@ropos.com

John Garrett, Executive Vice President, Tel: (250)652-5750, Fax (250)652-5734, e-mail:  jgarrett@ropos.com

Canadian Scientific Submersible Foundation
c/o Institute of Ocean Sciences
P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, B.C., Canada V8L 4B2
 
 

Welcome Aboard!

University of Washington Hires New Marine Superintendent
     Captain Daniel Schwartz has joined the University of Washington as their new Marine Superintendent.  He replaces Robert Hinton, who has taken a position with the University of Hawaii as their AGOR 26 construction representative.  Dan is a familiar face in the oceanographic community.  Most recently he worked in Washington, DC as a CORE Policy Fellow.  Prior to this assignment, Dan served for many years as the captain of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution’s research vessel, SEWARD JOHNSON.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution hires Jonathan Alberts
     WHOI has announced the hiring of Jon Alberts as relief for Don Moller.  A graduate of Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Jon worked his way up through the ranks from deck seaman to relief Master at URI.  He sailed as relief Chief Mate and Third Mate on WHOI ships, KNORR and ATLANTIS II, before furthering his education earning a Master's Degree in Environmental Studies.  Jon most recently was the Science Coordinator for the JGOFS Southern Ocean Program at the Antarctic Support Association where he earned a reputation for excellent support of science and an ability to successfully manage complex ship, science and logistics issues.
    He will start work in early September in time for the Annual UNOLS Scheduling Meeting and a thorough turnover with Don Moller who will be retiring in December or January.
 
 

International Marine Technician Workshop - 1998
~ INMARTECH ‘98 ~
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA
October 20-22, 1998

 The 1998 International Marine Technician Workshop (INMARTECH ‘98) will be held October 20-22, 1998 at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) in La Jolla, California, USA.  INMARTECH ‘98 will provide a forum for international exchange of knowledge and experiences between marine technicians.

 The technical program agenda for INMARTECH ‘98 has been planned.  The workshops are intended for participation by marine technicians and will be conducted in English.  The participant appraisal forms from the INMARTECH ‘96 Workshop along with responses from a pre-meeting survey were carefully considered while planning the 1998 meeting.  The program agenda is outlined below.

 Specialists have been invited to give presentations and hardware demonstrations on the selected topics.  The workshop sessions will be arranged to encourage informal discussion among participants.  An evening session is planned to feature the latest marine technology products and practices from both industry and academia. INMARTECH ‘98 also will feature a tour of the SIO marine facilities and research vessels.

 An INMARTECH ‘98 Web site, <http://gso.uri.edu/unols/inmartech98/>, has been established to provide the most up-to-date information on the meeting.
 

Morning
· Welcome & Keynote Address
· Technical Workshop
       Underway Sampling Systems

Afternoon
Technical Workshops (Concurrent Sessions)
·    Geophysical Technologies
·    ROV and Towed Vehicles

Evening
Reception and Poster Session at Birch Aquarium
 

Wednesday, October 21, 1998

Morning
Technical Workshops (Concurrent Sessions)
·     Bottom Sampling Techniques
·     Acoustic, Doppler, Current Profiler

Afternoon
· Tour of SIO Marine Facility
· Underway Sampling System Demonstrations (on R/V MELVILLE)
· Multibeam Processing Demonstration (on R/V MELVILLE)
 

Thursday, October 22, 1998

Morning
Technical Workshops (Concurrent Sessions)
·     Deck Operations and Onboard Safety
·     Shipboard Networking and SeaNet

Afternoon
· Technical Workshop:  CTD Packages
· INMARTECH ‘98 - Wrap-Up
 

For the Latest Information on
INMARTECH ‘98
visit our website:
http://gso.uri.edu/unols/inmartech98/
 
 
 

NSF Academic Research Fleet Review

  A Committee has been established to provide a review of the NSF Academic Research Fleet.  The Review committee is Chaired by Roland Schmitt, RPI retired, with committee members: Earl Doyle, Shell Development; Steve Ramberg, ONR; Hugo Bezdek, NOAA retired; Chris d’Elia, U. MD; Ellen Druffel, UC Irvine; Larry Mayer, U. New Brunswick; and George Weatherly, Florida State.  The Committee’s Terms of Reference are:
    1) Review and evaluate the current and projected research vessel fleet required for research sponsored by the National Science Foundation within a national framework that includes research requirements of other federal agencies, state and local governments, and private sources.
    2) Review and evaluate overall management structure of the Academic Research Fleet; review and evaluate existing capabilities and services provided by the operating organizations; and review and evaluate possible future changes in academic fleet operations to ensure optimal operations of the academic fleet to support research requirements.
    3) Provide recommended actions by NSF to improve the organization, management, and cost effective operation of the Academic Research Fleet in support of scientific capabilities required to maintain world leadership in ocean and environmental science research.

The first meeting of the review was held at NSF in Arlington, VA on 8-10 June.  NSF and UNOLS, and members of the oceanographic research community, made presentations to the Committee to provide a background on Fleet operations.  Ken Johnson, UNOLS Chair, began the UNOLS presentations by providing a summary of the various UNOLS functions and services including:  science facility support, access to the sea, safety at sea, operating efficiency and science efficiency, planning the fleet of the future.  An overview of the UNOLS structure was given.

 Capt. Robertson P. Dinsmore, WHOI, kicked off the second day of presentation with a history and evolution of UNOLS.  This was followed by presentations from Dr. Robert Knox, SIO; Dr. Michael Roman, UMd; and Dr. Richard Jahnke, SKIO on science facility support provided by UNOLS ships.  They gave a description of the various types of science research conducted on the various ships ranging from global programs such as JGOFS which require Class I/II ships to coastal programs which require local/near-shore ships. RADM. Richard Pittenger (USN, ret), WHOI and Dr. Karen Von Damm, UNH; provided a review of the National Deep Submergence Facility operations along with a description of research needs. Dr. Dennis Hayes, L-DEO, provided a description of the multichannel seismic capabilities offered by EWING.

 Mr. Steve Rabalais (LUMCON) gave a presentation on UNOLS support for science at sea.  He described the role of the ship operator, the Research Vessel Operators’ Committee (RVOC), and the Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee’s (RVTEC) role.  Mr. Jack Bash (UNOLS Office) gave presentations on access to the sea as aided by the UNOLS scheduling process and a presentation on safety at sea, noting that UNOLS assists in fleet safety measures through a ship inspection program, the RVOC Safety Standards, the Safety Training Manual, and the Safety Video.

 Ken Johnson and Bob Knox provided discussions on operating efficiency and science efficiency.  Ken reviewed the UNOLS management philosophy while Bob gave an overview of institutional operations and their contributions.  The final morning of the meeting was devoted to UNOLS sponsor history and trends.  Bob and Ken lead these discussions

 The second Fleet Review Meeting will be held at SIO in La Jolla, CA on 2-3 September with a site visit of MELVILLE, SPROUL and ATLANTIS scheduled for 1 September.  This meeting will provide projections of future science trends and cost comparative operations models. The NSF newsletter is calling for an open solicitation to the science community to provide input to the academic fleet review.  A customer satisfaction questionnaire to address research scientist needs, support, capabilities, improvements to system, etc. is also under development.  Community input provided by the questionnaire would go directly to the Committee.

 A third Fleet Review meeting is tentatively scheduled for 2-3 December.  The Committee’s report and recommendations are expected in late 1998/early 1999.

 Calendar for UNOLS Meetings:
 

To view UNOLS News on the Web, go the UNOLS Homepage site:
http://gso.uri.edu/unols/unols.html
 

I would like to thank all who contributed information and articles for this issue of the Newsletter.   Articles are always welcome and encouraged.   Copy can be submitted via mail, FAX or e-mail.   The next newsletter is planned for Fall/Winter 1998.
 

Thank you, Annette DeSilva - Editor, UNOLS News
   E-mail: unols@gso.uri.edu, Phone:  (401) 874-6825, FAX:  (401) 874-6167
   Mail:   UNOLS Office, P.O.  Box 392, Saunderstown, RI  02874