The University of Hawaii will operate the R/V MOANA WAVE in 1993 as a general oceanographic vessel in support of NSF-funded research projects. The MOANA WAVE is a 210' general research vessel owned by the U.S. Navy and operated as a UNOLS vessel in support of academic research. In early 1993 MOANA WAVE will support the global change project TOGA-CORE. In late April the vessel will support a 40 day ODP cruise, which will map an area of the seafloor where undersea rift system are converging with continental crust off the southeast tip of New Guinea (Woodlark Basin). The vessel will then support Navy cruises between Guam and Japan. Following the cruise off Japan the MOANA WAVE will enter an extensive shipyard period. On returning to service the vessel will support a physical oceanography cruise that will take the vessel back to Honolulu. For the remainder of the Year, MOANA WAVE will support short cruise out of Hawaii including the Hawaii Time Series project. The MOANA WAVE is part of the academic fleet used by NSF to support oceanographic research. Most oceanographic research requires highly specialized equipment that must be permanently installed on a ship for which the ship must be specifically designed. This equipment also requires highly trained crew members for maintenance and operation. These vessels do not operate in the same manner as general cargo or fishing vessels, therefore, NSF supports the operation of a variety of vessels specifically dedicated to oceanographic research that are operated by universities and research institutions around the country.
