9707084 Pittenger In 1997 Scripps Institute of Oceanography will operate research vessels MELVILLE, NEW HORIZON and ROBERT GORDON SPROUL and the new age AGOR 24, RODGER REVELLE, in support of NSF-sponsored oceanographic research. The R/V MELVILLE will support a cruise in the Indian Ocean for WOCE and 2 cruises South of Australia in support of Marine Geology and Geophysical. The vessel will than work its way back to San Diego doing an MGG cruise. Following a cruise to the Gulf of Alaska for NAVO, the MELVILLE ends the year with 2 cruises off the coast of California and Mexico. The R/V REVELLE schedule has gone through many iterations. In the current schedule the vessel will start 1997 by supporting two cruise off NOAA cruise. The vessel will undergo final contract trials for the pending. The REVELLE will end 1997 in support of JGOFS in the southern oceans. The R/V NEW HORIZON will support a variety of biological and physical oceanography projects off the west coast of the US and Mexico. R/V ROBERT GORDON SPROUL will do short cruises off the coast of California and one cruise in the Columbia River estuary. The SIO vessels are part of a fleet utilized by the National Science Foundation in support of oceanographic research. Most oceanographic projects require highly specialized equipment and extensive support from the ship's crew members. Increasingly research projects require equipment which must be permanently installed on the vessel, thus requiring specialized ships. The ships do not operate the same as general cargo/fishing vessels, therefore, NSF supports the operation of a variety of vessels specifically dedicated to oceanographic research that are operated by universities and research institutes around the country.
