This award to University of Texas at Austin will provide equipment in support of oceanographic research on R/V Longhorn, a research vessel operated by the university's Marine Science Center as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet. Specific equipment to be acquired includes a life raft and an inflatable boat. The shared-use equipment supported here will improve vessel safety and assist marine scientists conduct studies from R/V Longhorn, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, during 1999 and future years. ***