NI ''Mário Ruivo'', previously known as NI ''Mar Portugal'', is a

research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA). She was originally the RMAS ''Salmaid'' (A187), a ''Sal''-Class mooring and salvage vessel working at HMNB Portsmouth under the

Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service The Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS) was a British Government agency which ran a variety of auxiliary vessels for His Majesty's Naval Service (incl. Royal Navy, Royal Marines) and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The service from 2009 has be ...

department of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

. Then she was operated by

Serco Denholm Serco Marine Services is a Private Finance Initiative contract, with Serco Group, to deliver auxiliary services to His Majesty's Naval Service (incl. Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary). Marine Services primarily operates ...

as the ''SD Salmaid''. Her sister ship was the RMAS ''Salmoor'' (A185). Built by

Hall, Russell & Company Hall, Russell & Company, Limited was a shipbuilder based in Aberdeen, Scotland. History Brothers James and William Hall, Thomas Russell, a Glasgow engineer, and James Cardno Couper founded the company in 1864 to build steam engines and boile ...

in 1986, her displacement is 2,200 tonnes and dimensions 77 m by 15 m by 4 m. Her complement is 19 and speed . Tasks included the laying and maintenance of underwater targets, navigation marks and moorings. She was acquired by the Scottish company Hays Ships and renamed ''Kommandor Calum'' after extensive work at a Polish Shipyard in 2012. In 2017, she was acquired by Portugal to be operated by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere in the oceanographic research of the

Atlantic ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

References

* *http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1625989 *https://www.ipma.pt/en/navios/mario-ruivo/ Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service 1986 ships Ships of Portugal {{UK-aux-ship-stub