Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution proposes to support technical services on three research vessels, all operated as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) research fleet. Ships to be supported include R/V Atlantis, R/V Knorr, and R/V Oceanus. As part of their basic operations they will provide one (Oceanus) or two (Atlantis, Knorr) technicians on each seagoing research project, and will maintain, calibrate and provide for qualified users items from their pool of shared-use research instrumentation, including use of the multibeam echosounders on Atlantis and Knorr. They also propose to provide several elements of specialized support for investigators, with separate charges. Specialized support requested for 2009 includes 1) Technical support aboard the USCGC Healy, 2) Long Core Operations aboard R/V Knorr, and 3) Support for the Sea Education Association (SEA). The budget in this proposal is for the first year of a 3-year continuing grant.
This grant requested funding for technical services in support of National Science Foundation (NSF) funded science programs aboard ships operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The Shipboard Scientific Services Group (SSSG) provides technical support to science users aboard the Research Vessels Atlantis, Knorr, and Oceanus, logistic assistance for all scientific parties using WHOI operated vessels and, at the end of 2011, the transfer of R/V Oceanus to Oregon State University to replace the R/V Wecoma. The SSSG also maintains, repairs and coordinates the use of WHOI's shared use scientific equipment and instrumentation. The research programs associated with this grant have been submitted by many other NSF principal investigators. These scientific and educational, peer-reviewed proposals have been thoroughly evaluated for scientific and intellectual merit as an integral part of the grant review and award process. This grant, in conjunction with the yearly request for new instrumentation, forms the infrastructure and basic level of support for all of these research efforts. It is only with the properly equipped and staffed sea-going platforms described in this grant that new and transformative results in science can be achieved. The knowledge to be gained and the discoveries to be made as a consequence of this effort will enhance our understanding of oceanic environments and their impact on the earth’s geological, biological, chemical, physical and climate processes. Additionally, WHOI SSSG uses the departments extensive experience with a wide range of oceanographic instrumentation by providing technical support to the scientific community in the development and advancement of oceanographic related analytical tools. The research vessels and technical support personnel represented by this proposal provide the at-sea laboratories to effectively and safely take the oceanographic research community to sea. 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 resulting from these cruises advance our understanding of the world’s oceans and its ecosystems. The WHOI SSSG community continues to expand the impact of our funding with both large and small initiatives. These range from providing open ship tours of the vessels, manned and unmanned submersibles, and institution facilities to the development of new research tool and methods developed during the terms of this grant.
