The National Science Foundation (NSF) selected the East Coast Oceanographic Consortium, led by the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, to operate a new oceanographic research ship, one of only three such vessels in the nation. Continuing the URI’s half-century of ocean-going research, the new Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV) will support such scientific studies as the tracking of ocean currents and fish migration, seafloor surveys in earth-quake prone regions of the world, conservation of marine mammals or the food-web dynamics in the deep ocean.
Discussion Questions
- Why is it important to study the ocean?
- What are the disciplines of oceanographic research?
- Why is a research vessel important to oceanographic research?
- Who participates in ship-based oceanographic research?
- What can oceanographic data collected during research cruises tell us and why is it important?
Classroom Activities
Build a Boat for Scientific Research
In this lesson students will build a boat for scientific research. In the process they will learn about buoyancy, boat design, and tradeoffs to meet needs/goals (speed, stability, weight, and space).
Mission Submersible
Students will design and build a working model of a launch and recovery system from a set of everyday items. The goal is that whatever they develop has safety features that limit swinging on a moving research vessel. Systems must be able to pick up and launch/recover “scientific packages” of varying sizes and weights and safely place them into the “ocean” and bring them back aboard the vessel.
A Sea of Data
These four lessons, three stand alone and one in-depth extension, were developed to engage high school students in ocean science data using the Next Generation Science Standards. These lessons were piloted and developed as a graduate student research related to the Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV) Program. Included in the file are recommendations for ocean researchers, R/V operating institutions, and other professionals who seek to engage learners, educators, and scientists in developing data driven educational outreach materials.
Research Class Research Vessel (RCRV) Resources
The Advent of GSO’s Regional Class Research Vessel
Learn about the new technologies, greater capabilities, and course-altering discoveries that will be made possible by the new Regional Class Research Vessel that will soon homeport at the URI Narragansett Bay Campus.
Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV) Live Cams
Watch the construction of the R/V Taani and RCRV2 in real time.
Regional Class Research Vessel
A video walk through of the RCRV animation.
Regional Class Research Vessels – Modern Ships for Ocean Science
Designed for people. Designed for science. A video overview of the features of the new RCRVs.
RCRV Overview
An overview of the NSF RCRV program and the ship particulars, specifically the Oregon State University ship, Taani.
Other Resources
Research Vessel Endeavor
Take a video tour of the URI Research Vessel Endeavor.
R/V Endeavor Research Cruise
What’s life like at sea on a research cruise on R/V Endeavor? Students on a cruise led by URI Prof. Brad Seibel made this video that takes you around the ship, and even underwater!
ECOGIG: What’s that? Scientific instrumentation aboard the R/V Endeavor
Watch several scientific instruments be deployed and retrieved during the 2015 ECOGIG cruise in the Gulf of Mexico on board the R/V Endeavor.
Earth-Ocean Interactions: Facilitating Science
How the Research Vessel Thompson supports science operations at sea.
Earth-Ocean Interactions: Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Jason
How a remotely operated vehicle supports science operations at sea.
ECOGIG: What’s that? Video Series
A series of videos that explain different instrumentation aboard a research vessel.
Historical List of all University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) Vessels
A list of vessels that have been operated through the UNOLS system since the early 70s.