A research vessel ( RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated vessel. Due to the demanding nature of the work, research vessels may be constructed around an icebreaker hull, allowing them to operate in polar waters.
History
The research ship had origins in the early voyages of exploration.
By the time of
James Cook's
Endeavour, the essentials of what today we would call a research ship are clearly apparent. In 1766, the
Royal Society hired Cook to travel to the
Pacific Ocean to observe and record the transit of Venus across the
Sun.
The
Endeavour was a sturdy vessel, well designed and equipped for the ordeals she would face, and fitted out with facilities for her "research personnel",
Joseph Banks. As is common with contemporary research vessels,
Endeavour also carried out more than one kind of research, including comprehensive hydrographic survey work.
Some other notable early research vessels were HMS Beagle, RV Calypso, HMS Challenger, USFC Albatross, and the Endurance and Terra Nova.
The names of early research vessels have been used to name later research vessels, as well as .
Modern types
Hydrographic survey
A hydrographic survey ship is a vessel designed to conduct
hydrography and survey.
are produced from this information to ensure safe
navigation by
military and
civilian shipping.
Hydrographic survey vessels also conduct Seismology surveys of the seabed and the underlying geology. Apart from producing the charts, this information is useful for detecting geological features likely to bear Petroleum or Natural gas. These vessels usually mount equipment on a Barge, for example, air cannons used to generate that sound Stratum beneath the seabed, or mounted on the keel, for example, a Echo sounder.
In practice, hydrographic survey vessels are often equipped to perform multiple roles. Some function also as oceanography research ships. Naval hydrographic survey vessels often do naval research, for example, on submarine detection.
An example of a hydrographic survey vessel is CCGS Frederick G. Creed. For an example of the employment of a survey ship see .
Oceanographic research
Oceanography research vessels carry out research on the
Physics,
Chemistry, and
Biology characteristics of
water, the
atmosphere, and
climate, and to these ends carry equipment for collecting water samples from a range of depths, including the deep seas, as well as equipment for the
Echo sounder of the seabed, along with numerous other environmental sensors. These vessels often also carry scientific divers
[Griffin, J.J. (ed) 1991. The Final Report of the Workshop on Scientific Shipboard Diving Safety to the National Science Foundation, University National Oceanographic Laboratory System, Graduate School of Oceanography Technical Report Number 90-04, Narragansett, RI, USA.] and unmanned underwater vehicles. Since the requirements of both oceanographic and hydrographic research are very different from those of fisheries research, these boats often fulfill dual roles. Recent oceanographic research campaigns include
Geotraces and
NAAMES.
Examples of an oceanographic research vessel include the NOAAS Ronald H. Brown and the Chilean Navy Cabo de Hornos.[
]
Fisheries research
A fisheries research vessel requires platforms capable of towing different types of
, collecting
plankton or water samples from a range of depths, and carrying
Sonar fish-finding equipment. Fisheries research vessels are often designed and built along the same lines as a large
fishing vessel, but with space given over to
Laboratory and equipment storage, as opposed to storage of the catch. An example of a fisheries research vessel is FRV
Scotia.
Naval research
Naval research vessels investigate naval concerns, such as submarine and mine detection or sonar and weapons trials. An example of a naval research vessel is the
Planet of the
German Navy.
Polar research
Polar region research vessels are constructed around an
icebreaker hull, allowing them to engage in
ice navigation and operate in polar waters. These vessels usually have dual roles, particularly in the
Antarctic, where they function also as polar replenishment and supply vessels to the Antarctic research bases. Examples of polar research vessels include USCGC
Polar Star, RSV
Aurora Australis[ RSV Aurora Australis 1989–2020 Australian Antarctic Division, 25 January 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2021.] and
RSV Nuyina.
[ About Australia's new icebreaker — RSV Nuyina Australian Antarctic Division, 29 September 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2021.]
Oil exploration
Oil exploration is performed in a number of ways, one of the most common being mobile drilling platforms or ships that are moved from area to area as needed to drill into the seabed to find out what deposits lie beneath it.
See also
Further reading
