Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is awarded funding to support NSF peer-reviewed scientific research aboard R/V Knorr in CY 2012. In CY 2012 R/V Knorr will remain in the Atlantic Ocean fulfilling research requirements for NSF, ONR,and NASA. Research programs will include an ONR two-ship operation off Greenland. Mooring work will be conducted from R/V Knorr as well as studies in the biochemistry, including water sampling and sediment trap recoveries, geochemistry, studies on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, and acoustical research. Line W and joint NASA/NSF projects will be performed off R/V Knorr in the Atlantic Ocean. ROV Jason operations will be carried out on R/V Knorr at the Mid Atlantic Ridge, concluding with Knorr transiting to a shipyard for a regulatory dry-docking. This is year-one of a five-year cooperative agreement, and negotiations will be made yearly since the level of funding is dependent on the number of days at service in support of NSF funded research programs.
Technical and Intellectual Merit These peer-reviewed projects have been rigorously evaluated for scientific and intellectual merit as an integral part of the NSF grant review and award process. The competitive nature of the award granting process ensures a very high level of intellectual merit. Knowledge gained and the discoveries made by the research programs supported by R/V Knorr will enhance understanding of the oceans and address a broad range of important scientific questions. The goal of this proposal is to provide funding support to safely and productively operate and maintain R/V Knorr in 2012 and to ensure it is maintained to support its planned life-cycle. This support is an essential prerequisite for safe and successful scientific missions.
Broad Impact Statement WHOI research vessels provide at-sea laboratories necessary to effectively and safely take science to sea. This community includes senior oceanographic scientists, post-doctoral and doctoral students, graduate and undergrad students as well as engineers, technicians, and teachers. These intellectual endeavors have broadened our understanding and have spurred on new questions and scientific theory. Research supported by R/V Knorr next year will be important in understanding the Earth's climate and how it changes over time. In 2012 R/V Knorr will perform biogeochemical research by collecting water samples and conducting sediment traps in the Atlantic Ocean. Geochemical experiments will take place on the Mid Atlantic Ridge. Line W project and other mooring deployments and retrievals will also take place in the Atlantic from R/V Knorr in 2012. Joint NASA/NSF experiments will take place from R/V Knorr east of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Jason operations and acoustical experiments, using autonomous hydrophones, will also take place from R/V Knorr in 2012. R/V Knorr will end 2012 in a regularly scheduled dry-dock period either in an east coast shipyard or aboard, depending on 2013 scheduling needs. Educational and outreach programs such as Dive & Discover http://science.whoi.edu/DiveDiscover, NSF's COSEE Center, Ridge 2000, and Women Exploring the Ocean will be featured on these cruises. All of these intellectual endeavors will continue to broaden our understanding of the oceans, stimulate new questions, and confirm scientific theory for years to come, benefiting society at large.
