University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System

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The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is a group of academic institutions and National Laboratories organized in the United States to coordinate research vessel use for federally funded ocean research.

Contents

Authority

The UNOLS system grew from the recognition during the rapid expansion of oceanographic activity that there was no organized means of coordinating ship time requests of researchers, particularly those from institutions not operating vessels and that more expensive ships were not the answer. Federal research sponsors were concerned about more effective use of those expensive assets. Even though a more formal National Oceanographic Laboratory system was not established the less formal and less federally controlled cooperative system of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System was established. The form this took lay between federal control of the fleet and uncoordinated use of the often federally owned research vessels at the institutions. UNOLS was chartered in September 1971 [1] to coordinate and support federally funded oceanographic research through efficient usage of the fleet. [2]

UNOLS goes beyond simple coordination of fleet activities. The system has developed standards and standard practices in cost accounting, reports, information services, shipboard equipment and services, foreign visit clearances, safety and coordinates on new vessel acquisition. In that last area UNOLS has played a part in influencing designs to most effectively support the mission. This has influenced the design of most U.S. and some foreign research vessels.

As of May 1, 2019, the office for UNOLS is located at the University of Washington School of Oceanography in Seattle, WA. [3]

Federal support, cooperation and funding

Federal support for and cooperation with UNOLS is found in the National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Naval Research (ONR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) and other agencies. [4]

The majority of the ships are owned by federal agencies and the ships are available to all federally funded researchers. [5] Federal agencies also utilize excess ship time in fulfilling some of their ship based requirements. [6]

Institutions

As of December 2009 sixty-one institutions are members. Some operate vessels while some are non-operator institutions. Those non-operator institutions were first associate members and are now full members. [7]

Vessels

Vessels are either owned by or, more often, assigned to and operated by the institutions. UNOLS itself is neither the operator nor the funding agency for research. [2] Many of the vessels are owned by federal agencies with the Navy having the largest number. The National Science Foundation owns vessels operated by UNOLS institutions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operates a large vessel, the Ronald H. Brown in cooperation with UNOLS. The U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers also cooperate on research scheduling. [8] A number of well known research vessels have been members of the UNOLS fleet. Some are now retired or otherwise out of UNOLS service. [9] All of the Navy owned oceanographic research (AGOR), as opposed to survey, vessels are now operated by institutions within UNOLS.

In addition to vessels UNOLS assists in scheduling oceanographic research using aircraft owned by federal agencies through the Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Aircraft Research (SCOAR). [10] [11]

Ship Classes

Research vessels within the UNOLS fleet fall within one of five categories: [12] [13]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Research vessel</span> Ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea

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BRP <i>Gregorio Velasquez</i>

BRP Gregorio Velasquez is Philippine Navy's first oceanographic research vessel. It was built by the United States Navy as USNS Melville (T-AGOR-14) for university support of Navy programs. The ship was operated as the research vessel R/V Melville by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for oceanographic research. As the R/V Melville, it was the oldest active vessel in the academic research fleet, collectively known as the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) (UNOLS). The US Government confirmed on 17 November 2015 that the Melville was to be transferred to the Philippine Navy as Excess Defense Articles (EDA)s. The vessel was officially transferred to the Philippines on 28 April 2016 and was commissioned into active service at the same time with the Philippine Navy.

NOAAS <i>Ronald H. Brown</i>

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RV <i>Atlantis</i> (AGOR-25) American oceanographic research ship

RV Atlantis is a Thomas G. Thompson-class oceanographic research ship, owned by the US Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. She is the host vessel of DSV Alvin. She is named for the first research vessel operated by WHOI, the sailboat RV Atlantis, for which the Space ShuttleAtlantis is also named.

RV <i>Knorr</i> Research vessel

RV Knorr was a research vessel formerly owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for the U.S. research community in coordination with and as a part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. On March 14, 2016, Knorr was officially transferred to the Mexican Navy and renamed Rio Tecolutla. She was replaced at Woods Hole by the RV Neil Armstrong. Knorr is best known as the ship that supported researchers as they discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985. R/V Knorr (AGOR-15) has traveled more than a million miles—the rough equivalent of two round trips to the Moon or forty trips around the Earth. Her sister ship is the RV Melville.

RV <i>Oceanus</i>

RV Oceanus is a Regional-class research vessel owned by the National Science Foundation, based in Newport, Oregon, and maintained and operated by Oregon State University. The ship was originally delivered to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) for operation as a part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet as a University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) designated operator. in November 1975. Oceanus made the first operational cruise in April 1976 and operated under WHOI for thirty-six years in the Atlantic Ocean with some operations in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. The ship was scheduled to be retired in November 2011 but instead was transferred to Oregon State University, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, for operation, replacing sister ship, RV Wecoma.

RV <i>Thomas G. Thompson</i> (T-AGOR-23)

RV Thomas G. Thompson (AGOR-23) is an oceanographic research vessel and lead ship of her class, owned by the United States Office of Naval Research and operated under a bareboat charterparty agreement by the University of Washington as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet.

RV <i>Marcus G. Langseth</i> American research vessel

RV Marcus Langseth is a research vessel operated by the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University as a part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. The Marcus G. Langseth was dedicated on December 4, 2007, came into service in early 2008, replacing the RV Maurice Ewing.

USNS <i>Indomitable</i> Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ship

USNS Indomitable (T-AGOS-7) was a United States Navy Stalwart-class ocean surveillance ship in service from 1985 to 2002. From 2003 until 18 June 2014, she was in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the oceanographic research ship NOAAS McArthur II. As of 2018 it serves as a mother ship now named the Deep Submersible Support Vessel (DSSV) Pressure Drop for the crewed deep-ocean research submersible DSV Limiting Factor.

USNS <i>Robert D. Conrad</i> Oceanographic research ship that served the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1989

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USNS <i>James M. Gilliss</i>

USNS James M. Gilliss (T-AGOR-4) was a Robert D. Conrad-class oceanographic research ship acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1962. The ship was operated by the Military Sea Transportation Service and managed by the Naval Oceanographic Office as one of the "Navy Pool" vessels serving various Navy laboratories and projects in the Atlantic Ocean. After active Navy pool service the ship was assigned to the University of Miami to operate as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet until 1979.

USNS <i>Thomas G. Thompson</i> (T-AGOR-9)

Thomas G. Thompson (T-AGOR-9) was a Robert D. Conrad-class oceanographic research ship acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1965. The ship was transferred to the University of Washington for operation as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet on 21 September 1965. In 1988 the ship went out of UNOLS service. The ship, retaining the previous name, was designated by the Navy as IX-517 assigned to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for general naval research. Thomas G. Thompson was later renamed Pacific Escort II with the same designation. On 7 May 1997 the Navy renamed the ship Gosport and transferred the ship to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard available for hire as a multi purpose platform from the shipyard. The ship, placed out of service and struck from the register on 27 February 2004, was sunk as part of a NATO exercise 14 November 2004.

USNS <i>Thomas Washington</i>

Thomas Washington (T-AGOR-10) was a Robert D. Conrad-class oceanographic research ship delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1965. The ship was owned by the Navy but assigned to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, La Jolla, California and operated as R/VThomas Washington from delivery to inactivation.

Gyre (T-AGOR-21), best known as RV Gyre, was the lead ship of her class of oceanographic research ships acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1973 for assignment to the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet of Navy owned ships. Gyre was operated by the Texas A&M University School of Oceanography as part of the Navy owned UNOLS fleet until stricken 17 August 1992 and transferred to the university under a program transferring ships to states, schools and other public institutions. The university operated the ship until sale in December 2005.

RV Wecoma is a research vessel owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University (OSU) as a member of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. It is based in Newport in the U.S. state of Oregon near OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center. Launched in 1975, it has a maximum displacement of 1,150 long tons (1,168 t).

RV <i>Atlantic Explorer</i>

RV Atlantic Explorer is a twin-screw ocean vessel. It is owned and operated by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in coordination with and as a part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. Atlantic Explorer is in compliance with US Coast Guard, UNOLS and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) regulations as an uninspected oceanographic research vessel and is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Its homeport is St. George's, Bermuda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita L. Lopez</span> NOAA official

Anita L. Lopez is a former officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps. She last served as the deputy director of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and deputy director for Operations of NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. She previously served as the commanding officer of NOAA's Marine Operations Center–Atlantic in Norfolk, Virginia from June 2012 to January 2014. Lopez retired form the NOAA Corps on March 1, 2018. Since 2018, she has been serving as the Director of Research Vessel Operations at the University of Hawaii and the Interim Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

References

  1. "UNOLS Charter" (PDF). UNOLS. November 2, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Dinsmore, Robert P. (June 1998). "History of UNOLS". UNOLS.
  3. "What Is UNOLS?". UNOLS.
  4. "Links to our Federal Agencies". UNOLS. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014.
  5. "Information Required by Academic Scientists Wishing to Use the UNOLS Research Fleet". UNOLS. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014.
  6. "National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration: Marine and Aviation Operations, sections 1.2 and 1.3". The White House. 2006.
  7. "Unols Directory of Member Institutions and Designated Representatives". UNOLS. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011.
  8. "UNOLS Research Vessels". UNOLS.
  9. "UNOLS Current and Retired Vessel List". UNOLS. November 7, 2008. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012.
  10. Bane, John M.; Bluth, Robert; Flagg, Charles; Friehe, Carl A.; Jonsson, Haflidi; Melville, W. Kendall; Prince, Mike & Riemer, Daniel (December 2004). "UNOLS Establishes SCOAR to Promote Research Aircraft Facilities for U. S. Ocean Sciences" (PDF). Oceanography . 17 (4): 176–185. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 19, 2011 via UNOLS.
  11. "Oceanographic Aircraft Facility Information". UNOLS. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012.
  12. "University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System Brochure" (PDF). unols.org. University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System. 11 May 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  13. "UNOLS Designated Vessels". www.unols.org. University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System twitter logo facebook logo youtube logo instagram logo Footer Menu Home. Retrieved 1 October 2024.