Science at Sea: Meeting Future Oceanographic Goals with a Robust Academic Research Fleet
Abstract
The National Research Council’s Committee on the Evolution of the National Oceanographic Research Fleet reviewed scientific and technological issues that could affect the evolution of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) academic fleet. They examined a number of factors including: the impacts of advanced technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and ocean observing systems, on the role and characteristics of the future fleet with regard to national oceanographic data collection objectives; the most important factors in research vessel design, and whether specialized needs would dominate design criteria of newly built ships; the impacts of evolving modeling and remote sensing approaches on research operations, including ground-truthing and observation; the impact of rising costs of research vessel operations on the ability to conduct oceanographic research in the future; and the usefulness of partnering mechanisms, such as UNOLS, to support national oceanographic research objectives. Results of the study, including conclusions and recommendations, will be presented.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFMOS43B1386G
- Keywords:
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- 3000 MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS;
- 4200 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL;
- 4500 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL;
- 4800 OCEANOGRAPHY: BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL