Proposal No. 94-02678 This award provides funding to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) for shipboard technician activities associated with the research vessels KNORR, a 279-foot vessel, ATLANTIS II, a 210 foot vessel, and the OCEANUS, a 177 foot vessel. The KNORR is owned by the Navy, the A-II is owned by WHOI and the OCEANUS is owned by NSF. All three vessels are operated by WHOI in support of oceanographic research. NSF is the primary user of all three ships. In calendar year 1994, the KNORR will support a total of 215 days of NSF-funded research, and the A-II will support 253 days of NSF funded research. The OCEANUS will undergo a mid-life refit in 1994 and be laid-up for the entire year. WHOI technicians will be responsible for operating and repairing instruments while at sea, maintaining instruments ashore and assisting with scientific operations as necessary before and after cruises. In addition, NSF will support $10,000 for shipboard technical services supplied to the Sea Education Association and $37,085 for a subcontract with the SeaBeam technicians at the University of Rhode Island. The subcontract is required because URI will no longer support seagoing technical services for cruises that require SeaBeam. In order for WHOI personnel to be properly trained to provide these services, NSF will support a WHOI technician and a URI technician for SeaBeam cruises during 1994. Program expects that this subcontract will be terminated in 1995. Program recommends a three-year award for this grant, with a Year 1 budget of $419,729 for shipboard technical services to be provided by the WHOI technician program during 1994. Funding for Years 2 and 3 of this award will be negotiated when ship schedules for 1995 and 1996 are finalized.
