9626754 BARBER Duke University will not operate the R/V CAPE HATTERAS in 1996. The vessel will be in lay-up status. The HATTERAS is a 135' general purpose research vessel constructed in 1981. The ship is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by Duke University. The vessel had a very light scheduled for 1996. For greater efficiency of the fleet the few days that were scheduled on Hatteras were switched to other vessels. The Hatteras is now at mid-life and is due for a mid-life upgrade. During the lay-up period the operator will start the engineering and mid-life refit. The HATTERAS 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 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.
