R/V ''Oceanus'' is

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 ...

owned by the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...

, based in Newport, Oregon, and maintained and operated by

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering c ...

. The ship was originally delivered to the

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering. Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, it ...

(WHOI) for operation as a part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet as a

University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System 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. Authority The UNOLS ...

(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 with some operations in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. The ship was scheduled to be retired in November 2011 but instead was transferred to

College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
for operation, replacing sister ship, R/V ''Wecoma''. On January 25, 2012 the ship began transit to Newport, Oregon and the

Hatfield Marine Science Center The Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) is a marine science research and education center next to Yaquina Bay of the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is operated by Oregon State University in cooperation with five state and federa ...

for operation by Oregon State University. ''Oceanus'' arrived in Newport, Oregon on February 21, 2012 ahead of the March retirement of sister ship R/V ''Wecoma''. ''Oceanus'' was an interim replacement during the period while NSF began the design and construction of three ne
Regional Class Research Vessels
the first of which is expected to be launched in 2023 and to be operated by OSU under the name RCRV ''Taani'' for NSF. ''Oceanus'' was built by

Peterson Builders Peterson Builders Incorporated (PBI) was an American constructor of small to medium naval, commercial and other ships and boats. The company maintained a shipyard in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, spare parts and logistics business in Virginia Beach, ...

of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin to a design by John W. Gilbert Associates, Boston, completed 1975 with a mid-life refit in 1994. The ship is in length by beam and draft powered by a single EMD diesel engine of 3,000 SHP for a cruising speed of 11 knots with a 7,000 nautical mile range. She carries a crew of 12 with capacity for up to 19 project personnel with 1,185 square feet of laboratory space. R/V ''Oceanus'' was described by WHOI as "the North Atlantic workhorse of the WHOI-UNOLS fleet", used extensively in Gulf Stream and ocean circulation systems.

References

R/V ''Oceanus'' Specifications, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (General reference for ship specifications)

External links

R/V ''Oceanus'', College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oceanus Research vessels of the National Science Foundation University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research vessels 1976 ships Ships built by Peterson Builders Oregon State University Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution