CY2018 Navy-funded cruises on R/V Sikuliaq
Abstract
calendar year. The day rate for the ship is all-inclusive and includes the Marine Technician costs who will help facilitate shore-side and at-sea logistics as well as function as the primary operator of any vessel-supplied oceanographic instrumentation. The ship is scheduled to operate on a 24 hour a day schedule while at sea. The vessel was last inspected by Jamestown Marine Services NSF inspection team March 2016 and was ultimately declared to be in compliance with required standards. R/V Sikuliaq [pronounced: see-KOO-lee-auk] is a 261-foot oceanographic research vessel capable of bringing scientists to the ice-covered waters off Alaska and other polar regions. Sikuliaq is one of the most advanced university research vessels in the world, capable of breaking ice up to 2.5 feet thick. Constructed at Marinette Marine Corporation shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin, Sikuliaq’s homeport is located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Seward Marine Center (SMC) in Seward, Alaska. The vessel is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS), as part of the U.S. academic research fleet. Sikuliaq is used by scientists in the U.S. and by the international oceanographic community through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). Dating back to 1973, marine scientists in the U.S. first proposed the need for an ice-capable research vessel. After 36 years of development and consideration of multiple vessel designs, construction began on the ship in December 2009. Glosten Associates, a marine architecture and engineering firm in Seattle, designed the vessel in 2004. R/V Sikuliaq’s capabilities allow researchers to collect sediment samples directly from the seafloor, host remotely operated vehicles, use a flexible suite of winches to raise and lower scientific equipment, and conduct surveys throughout the water column and sea bottom using an extensive set of research instrumentation. The vessel design strives to have the lowest possible environmental impact, including a low underwater-radiated noise signature to facilitate marine mammal and fisheries research. Sikuliaq can accommodate up to 26 scientists, including those with physical disabilities. Seward Marine Center has successfully operated R/V Sikuliaq since the Cooperative Agreement between NSF and UAF was signed on August 1, 2014. The Seward Marine Center is located on the Kenai Peninsula, at the head of Resurrection Bay, Alaska, and has the distinction of being one of the northernmost ice-free ports in Alaska. With an extensive network of railway and trucking infrastructure, Seward is well suited for staging Arctic operations. Sikuliaq has served scientists from UAF and from institutions located across the nation and around the world. During CY2018, R/V Sikuliaq will provide ship time for research and marine science educational programs funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB). Further, the State of Alaska provides $500,000 per year towards operation of the vessel.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 26, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812610
Entities
People
- Douglas Baird
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Alaska Fairbanks