Proposal Number: 0946374 Institution: Scripps Institute of Oceanography PI: B. Appelgate Co-PI: T. Althouse
This proposal requests funding to enhance the UNOLS West Coast Winch Pool which supports scientific operations aboard vessels in the US academic research vessel fleet as well as other US government-owned research vessels. The bulk of the funds provided will purchase portable winches and other components to support science operations at sea. This year?s funding request for the West Coast Winch Pool will include administrative and maintenance support for the pool in general as well as purchase of the following items:
1. Slip Ring for existing 0.681 fiber optic winch 2. Two (2) Deep Sea Mooring Recovery Winches
These winches and handling systems will support a wide variety missions on all UNOLS vessels. The UNOLS West Coast Winch Pool, and corresponding East Coast Winch Pool at WHOI, will also serve to ensure that the equipment meets current UNOLS standards, provides commonality of design, and provides proper maintenance, administrative and logistical support to the academic fleet and the science community at large.
Broader Impacts: The PI addressed the Broader Impact and Intellectual Merit of the proposed UNOLS West Coast Winch Pool. The shared-use equipment purchased, and the administrative structure established to support the equipment, will provide improved services to both the vessel operators and the scientific community. The Winch Pool structure will also ensure proper maintenance of equipment, commonality of design, compliance with current standards, and efficiencies to NSF with regard to logistics, tracking and oversight of shared-use assets. The research projects supported have been individually peer-reviewed for scientific merit. Scripps participates in a large number of outreach programs including open house events, student tours, and hosting of government officials, dignitaries, and science communities while its vessels are in foreign ports.
(WCWP) for the benefit of U.S. ocean scientists. The winch pool is a shared-use facility that procures, maintains, upgrades, and makes available a variety of portable oceanographic winches that are used by scientists aboard a broad range of research vessels. The pool currently includes a deep-sea traction winch, a CTD winch, three mooring winches, and a wire spooling system. Winches are shared following community-based scheduling methods fostered by the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). Winches are critical tools that enable the observation, measurement, and collection of samples and data used by ocean scientists aboard research vessels. The winch pool is an integral element of the academic research fleet as it carries out its mission to advance our understanding of the oceans, climate, and Earth. Shipboard research offers the transformative potential to understand societally-relevant issues, such as global change and the health of ocean ecosystems, on which human well-being may ultimately depend. The NSF West Coast Winch Pool, supported by grant OCE-0946374, enables the most appropriate technology for over-the-side handling equipment to be provided uniformly to all members of the UNOLS community. Management of the winch pool is guided by a Safety Management System policy of continual improvement in safety, efficiency and quality of service to users, with a focus on protection of the environment. In 2010-2011, WCWP assets were used to support more than 34 major oceanographic programs aboard eight different Global- and Intermediate-Class research vessels during 822 operational days at sea: Chief Scientist (Institution) Research Vessel NSF Requests McDuff, R. (UW) R/V Thomas Thompson Delaney, J. (UW) R/V Thomas Thompson Bowen, A. (WHOI) R/V Thomas Thompson Chadwick, W. (OSU-HMSC) R/V Thomas Thompson Huber, J. (MBL) R/V Thomas Thompson Stern, R (UTD) R/V Thomas Thompson Various R/V Marcus Langseth Various R/V Kilo Moana Ohman, M. (SIO) R/V New Horizon Pinkel, R. (SIO) R/V Robert Gordon Sproul Caplan-Auerbach, J. (WWU) R/V Kilo Moana Alford, M. (UW-APL) R/V Kilo Moana Forsyth, D. (Brown U) R/V Kilo Moana Wiens, D. (WUSTL) R/V Kilo Moana Ohman, M. (SIO) R/V New Horizon Beal, L. (RSMAS) R/V Melville Johnston, K. (SIO) R/V Kilo Moana Johnston, K. (SIO) R/V Kilo Moana Howe, B. (UH) R/V Kilo Moana Send, U./Tryon, M. (SIO) R/V Robert Gordon Sproul Lien, R. (UW-APL) R/V Roger Revelle Other Agency requests Various (NOAA) R/V Ronald Brown Hyeong, K. (Korea) R/V Ka' Imikai-O-Kanaloa Edwards, M. (UH) R/V Ka' Imikai-O-Kanaloa Weller, R. (X) R/V Kilo Moana Bradner, C. (NSWCCD) R/V Robert Gordon Sproul Moran, K. (UVic) R/V Thomas Thompson Taylor, B. (UH) R/V Kilo Moana Hodgkiss, W. (SIO) R/V Kilo Moana Worcester, P. (SIO) R/V Roger Revelle Worcester, P. (SIO) R/V Roger Revelle Graber, H. (RSMAS) R/V Roger Revelle Stephen, R. (WHOI) R/V Roger Revelle St. Laurent, L. (WHOI) R/V Roger Revelle Deep-sea winches are used by all disciplines of oceanography, and the spectrum of research enabled by the winch pool collectively achieves far-reaching broader impacts by enabling ocean observation technologies upon which the progress of oceanography relies. Winch pool assets have supported deep sea oceanographic projects including the National Deep Submergence Facility's Remotely Operated Vehicle JASON to explore mid-ocean ridges and vents, and deployment of remote meteorological sensors and tsunami warning buoys throughout the world's oceans. The dissemination of scientific results enhances broad understanding of scientific and technological issues, and informs policy making that benefits society. Through these activities, the West Coast Winch Pool constitutes a fundamental mechanism to enable oceanographic research, student instruction and education, and practical research training for the next generation of ocean scientists.
