Research vessels (R/Vs)
Research vessels can be anything from small boats for near-shore work to very large ships capable of oceanic research lasting several months at sea. They provide a mobile platform for marine research and can carry a wide variety of sampling and surveying equipment. Most research vessels have laboratory space on board so that researchers can begin to analyze the material they collect during a cruise. Some of the more advanced ships have special diesel electric engines that minimize noise that may scare away fish and marine mammals. The Census of Marine Life utilizes a variety of different research vessels including icebreakers that are specialized for getting researchers into unique frozen marine habitats.
|Research vessels provide a home and launching base for manned submersibles
such as the NAUTILE, pictured here, and other deep-diving vessels. (Daniel
Desbruyères, IFREMER, France)|
|The decks of research vessels can become congested with the large
amount of equipment used to study the oceans. (Gulf of Maine Area Program - GoMA; see full-size image -- 75K)|
Click on the links below to see what Census projects use this technology: