Proposal Number: 1019074 Institution: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution PI: A. Suchy
The proposal requests three Shipboard Scientific Support items for Woods Hole vessels; namely assessment, re-design and modifications to the port hydro-boom on the R/V ATLANTIS, winch monitoring up-grades for R/V ATLANTIS and KNORR, and IP addressable cameras for R/V ATLANTIS. All items will either enhance safety or provide greatly improved support capabilities to science.
Broader Impacts: Woods Hole vessels support federally funded scientific research throughout the world?s oceans and routinely expose graduate and undergraduate students to seagoing oceanography. All told, the KNORR, ATLANTIS and OCEANUS are scheduled to complete nearly 700 NSF sponsored days in 2010.
This grant provided the funds to: Upgrade the structure of the Port Hydro-Boom on R/V Atlantis to be compliant with using this deployment system with .681 fiber optic cable. Purchase a new high speed winch monitoring system for R/Vs Atlantis and Knorr to be compliant with Appendix A of the Research Vessel Safety Standards. Purchase and Install an IP Camera System for R/V Atlantis. The scientific capabilities of R/Vs Atlantis and Knorr which have the upgrades and equipment provided by this grant will be significantly enhanced. Safe ship structures on over-boarding equipment, responsive winch monitoring system, and ship-wide camera systems to enhance the visibility throughout the ship are prerequisites for all voyages. Ensuring the port hydro-boom is structurally sound to safely over-board .681 fiber optic cable is key for all Remote Operated Vehicle operations on R/V Atlantis. Enabling R/V Atlantis to safely deploy ROVs such as Jason from the Port Hydro-Boom will support significant outreach from these important scientific vehicles. It is essential that the winch monitoring systems on WHOI vessels meet new Safety Standards for faster data management. Every science mission involves using either the hydro or traction winches and all aspects of the operation must be compliant with applicable safety standards. Providing R/V Atlantis and Knorr with winch monitoring systems that meet new Safety Standards for faster data management will allow these vessels to deploy heavy packages at sea in less than ideal weather conditions. It was imperative that the camera system on R/V Atlantis was upgraded to meet all operational, safety, security, and outreach needs for years to come. All of these improvements will support the outreach of spectacular science discoveries that come from the impressive scientific teams that research the world’s oceans. Enhancement of the effectiveness and safety of the platforms that bring the scientific community to sea, brought about by having reliable support equipment aboard, is of paramount importance. This scientific community includes senior oceanographic scientists, post-doctoral and doctoral students, graduate and undergraduate students as well as engineers, technicians, and teachers. The research findings that are published from the cruises will advance our understanding of the worlds’ oceans and our place in this ecosystem. Annually, a number of the cruises have web sites which broadcast real-time images and live conversations into classrooms of America. The knowledge gained and the discoveries made by the research programs supported by R/V Atlantis and Knorr enhance the understanding of the oceans and addressed a broad range of important questions in all the scientific disciplines. These broader impacts were achieved through the reliability and effectiveness of the systems upgraded by the funding from this grant. These intellectual endeavors broaden the understanding of the oceans, spur new questions, and confirm scientific theory, benefiting society at large.
