The University of Delaware will operate the R/V Cape Henlopen during 2000 as a general oceanographic research vessel in support of NSF-supported research projects. The Cape Henlopen is a 120 ft. vessel, constructed in 1975, and is owned and operated by University of Delaware. The vessel is scheduled for a total of 178 operational days during 2000, of which 143.5 days are in support of NSF-supported investigators. The remaining cruises will support Navy and other private projects. The projects scheduled on the Cape Henlopen represent several oceanographic disciplines, including biological and chemical oceanography and benthic ecology, and will fully utilize the capabilities of the vessel. Cape Henlopen is a regional vessel that typically operates in the coastal water from Long Island to Cape Hatteras, as well as the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, but occaionally sails as far north as the Gulf of Maine, as far south as Florida and as far offshore as Bermuda. Operations in 2000 will mainly take place around the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays and off the New York and New Jersey coasts. The Cape Henlopen will have a ship yard period in February.
The Henlopen is part of a fleet of ships used by the National Science Foundation in support of marine science research. Most oceanographic projects require highly specialized equipment to be permanently installed on the vessel, thus the necessity for specialized ships. These vessels do not operate in the same mode as general cargo/fishing vessels. As a result, NSF supports the operation of a variety of ships specifically dedicated to oceanographic research that are operated by universities and institutions around the country. ***
