RV Sarmiento de Gamboa

RV Sarmiento de Gamboa in Vigo, 2012
History
Spain
Name	RV Sarmiento de Gamboa
Namesake	Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
Operator	Spanish National Research Council
Port of registry	Spain
Ordered	2004
Builder	Construcciones Navales P. Freire
Completed	2006
Homeport	Vigo
Identification	IMO number:  9335238 MMSI number: 224713000 Callsign: EAKF
Status	Active as of 2025
General characteristics
Class and type	research vessel
Displacement	1979 t
Length	70.5 m
Beam	15.5 m
Draught	4.60 m
Installed power	1800 KW / 690 volt / Three phase
Propulsion	2 reversible electric motors of 1200 Kw Main propeller, 5 fixed pitch blades Other propellers: retractable forward, combi and azimuthal of 590 Kw, and an aft transverse propeller of 350 Kw
Speed	15 knots
Endurance	40 days
Boats & landing craft carried	Valiant DR 620 service boat Valiant PT 650 rescue boat Duarry S8 service boat
Capacity	26 scientists and technicians
Crew	16
Sensors and processing systems	singlebeam, multibeam, multibeam deep-water, parametric, & biological echosounders Speed sound profiler, subbottom profiler Doppler Current profiler Marport net sensors MK21 Oceanographic data acquisition system Continuous circuit of surface sound velocity Gravimeters Magnetometer Hight precision Acustic positioning System
Notes	Clasification:HULL SPECIAL SERVICE OCEANOGRAPHIC AND FISHING RESEARCH UNRESTRICTED NAVIGATION + MACH + AUT-UMS, AUT-CCS, ALM SDS COMF-1, SYS-NEQ 1 DYNAPOS AM/AT

RV Sarmiento de Gamboa is an oceanographic research vessel operated by the Spanish National Research Council. It is used globally to study eg. ocean circulation, marine biodiversity, fishery resources, and climate change. ^[1]

Background

Its construction was authorized by the Spanish Government in 2004, and it was launched in 2006 in the presence of Queen Sofia. ^[2] It was built by Construcciones Navales P. Freire in Vigo (Pontevedra, Spain). Funding is provided by the Galician Regional Government, the Ministry of Education, and CSIC. It has an overall length of 70.5 meters, a beam of 15.5 meters, and is propelled by diesel and electric engines. ^[3] It is named after Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, Spanish explorer from the 16th century.

Missions and discoveries

• Plankton samples collected by the ship in 2009 in NW Mediterranean allowed researchers to describe a unique life cycle of the smallest marine diatom, Mediolabrus comicus . ^[4]
• In 2010, the vessel participated in the Malaspina Expedition together with BIO Hespérides.
• In February 2020, researchers aboard the ship found very dense and diverse benthic communities in the Blanes Canyon. ^[5]
• In 2024, researchers aboard the ship discovered an underwater mountain range named "Los Atlantes" consists of three volcanoes north of the Canary Islands. ^[6]
• In February 2025, researchers aboard the ship have observed massive columns of methane emerging from the Antarctic seabed. ^[7]

See also

• BIO Hespérides (A-33)
• History of research ships

• List of research vessels by country

References

1. "R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa | Unidad de Tecnología Marina". www.utm.csic.es. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
2. "InicioActividades y Agenda - Botadura del buque oceanográfico de investigación "Sarmiento de Gamboa"". www.casareal.es. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
3. "Characteristics R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa | Unidad de Tecnología Marina". www.utm.csic.es. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
4. Jewson, David; Kuwata, Akira; Cros, Lluïsa; Fortuño, José Manuel; Estrada, Marta (2016-09-30). "Morphological adaptations to small size in the marine diatom Minidiscus comicus". Scientia Marina. 80 (S1): 89–96. doi:10.3989/scimar.04331.06C. ISSN   1886-8134.
5. "Exploring exceptional deep corals in the Blanes Canyon, first results of ABRIC campaign | Institut de Ciències del Mar". www.icm.csic.es. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
6. "New underwater mountain range discovered north of the Canary Islands". Canarian Weekly. 2024-08-02. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
7. Ansede, Manuel (2025-02-12). "Massive methane leaks detected in Antarctica, posing potential risks for global warming". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 2025-04-30.