MODERNIZATION OF NOAA FISHERIES SURVEY VESSELS

February 10, 2005 — The NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON, first in a series of four new NOAA fisheries survey vessels of the same design, was delivered to NOAA by VT Halter Marine Inc. on Jan. 5, 2005. Not only is it NOAA's first newly constructed fisheries survey vessel in more than a quarter of a century, it is one of the most technologically advanced fisheries survey vessels in the world.

The ship is named for the late Alaskan fisherman and fishing industry leader Oscar Dyson, whose numerous private and public contributions improved the fishing industry for many Alaskans who make their living at sea. The ship will be home ported in Dyson's hometown of Kodiak, Alaska, beginning in the spring of 2005. It will conduct missions for the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

OSCAR DYSON measures 64 meters long by 15 meters wide and will have an endurance of 12,000 nautical miles at 12 knots, with the capability of a sustained speed of 14 knots. It can remain on station at sea for 40 days. It carries 39 people – four NOAA Corps officers, 23 wage mariners and up to 19 scientists.

Its primary mission will be to monitor the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska fisheries and ecosystems, particularly the multi-billion dollar Alaskan pollock fishery. However, unlike other fisheries research ships, OSCAR DYSON is equipped with advanced scientific technologies that enable it to simultaneously conduct fisheries and oceanographic missions. As a complete survey platform, OSCAR DYSON carries equipment and systems to conduct fisheries survey and stock assessments, as well as oceanographic and hydrographic research in most areas of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The ship will also observe weather, sea state and other environmental conditions; conduct habitat assessments; and survey marine mammal and bird populations. The multi-functional capabilities of NOAA’s new FSVs will result in more efficient and effective data collection and significant cost savings. (Click on NOAA image to the right for a larger view of the new NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON at its launch ceremony on Oct. 17, 2003, at the VT Halter Marine shipyard in Moss Point, Miss. Please credit "NOAA.")

Typical missions OSCAR DYSON will undertake include: midwater trawling, bottom trawling, hydroacoustic surveys, and oceanographic (physical, biological and physical) and hydrographic surveys. The ship also has been designed to handle specialized gear, such as a multiple opening/closing net and environmental sampling system, and the deployment and retrieval of floating and moored buoys as well as towed vehicles, dredges and bottom corers. All fluid system discharges are on the port side of the ship to avoid contamination of sampling devices deployed from the starboard side. Marine mammal and bird observation stations will be used to track and identify protected species, such as gray whales, orcas and pinnipeds. (Click on NOAA image to the right for a larger view of the new NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON being launched on Oct. 17, 2003, at the VT Halter Marine shipyard in Moss Point, Miss. Please credit "NOAA.")

OSCAR DYSON and its future sister ships will support scientific programs to meet NOAA's mission goal to protect, restore and manage the use of living marine, coastal and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management.

"The delivery of this new ship is an exciting milestone for NOAA and NOAA Fisheries scientists, who will now have access to a world-class platform," said Bill Hogarth, assistant administrator of NOAA Fisheries. "This state-of-the-art, acoustically quiet vessel will give NOAA scientists access to advanced technologies to better understand the state of the nation's fisheries. The fishing industry is a large portion of the nation's economy, and the work we do ensures the sustainable use of our ocean resources. That means providing jobs, safe and healthy seafood for consumers, and quality recreational opportunities for the American public."

"The advanced capabilities of OSCAR DYSON will enable NOAA to conduct its fisheries research and assessment mission in Alaska with much greater accuracy and cost efficiency," said Rear Admiral Samuel P. De Bow Jr., director of the NOAA Commissioned Corps and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations, which operates and manages the NOAA fleet. "Delivery of the ship is a significant step in the 10-year modernization plan for NOAA's research and survey fleet."

What is next for the NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON?
OSCAR DYSON will depart Pascagoula, Miss., in mid February and cross through the Panama Canal. A several-week stopover is planned in the Pacific Northwest for post-delivery shakedown cruises and outfitting. The ship will then sail to its home port of Kodiak, Alaska, this spring to begin operations. Current plans call for OSCAR DYSON to be commissioned in Kodiak during the late spring or early summer.

Other New NOAA Fisheries Survey Vessels
OSCAR DYSON and its three future sister ships will either augment or replace aging ships in the NOAA fleet and are intended to support the NOAA Fisheries science centers in the Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest. The second new NOAA FSV, HENRY B. BIGELOW, is currently under construction and is tentatively scheduled to be launched in July. It will replace the NOAA ship ALBATROSS IV in New England after calibration studies are completed. Construction will begin on the third FSV (still to be named) in July 2005. It is to be home ported in Pascagoula, Miss., and will eventually replace NOAA ship OREGON II. The fourth planned FSV will be home ported on the West Coast.

Why are NOAA’s New Fisheries Survey Vessels Multi-functional?
The FSVs have been designed and built to modern commercial construction and safety standards by VT Halter Marine Inc. and will comply with U.S. Coast Guard and American Bureau of Shipping Criteria. Many of the features common to modern commercial fishing vessels are included in the design, but all the new ships will also be equipped with a full suite of modern instrumentation systems for advanced navigation and scientific research — custom designed to meet the specific data collection requirements of NOAA Fisheries. As a result, NOAA’s new FSVs will greatly exceed the capabilities of the current NOAA fleet with improved scientific capability and greater speed and endurance. It is because of their specialized design and advanced scientific and navigational systems that the FSVs will be able to successfully perform as multi-functional survey platforms.

Unique NOAA Fisheries Survey Vessel Features

• Low Acoustic Sound Signature: NOAA’s new FSVs will be several orders of magnitude quieter than existing NOAA ships. Specifically, they have been built to meet tough standards for a low acoustic signature set by the International Council for Exploration of the Seas, a European-based organization that has developed a set of standards to optimize the effectiveness of fisheries research and facilitate international exchange of comparable data. A reduced acoustic sound signature will improve NOAA’s ability to accurately assess fish stocks without altering the behavior of the fish being surveyed.
• Sonar Systems: Because of the ships’ low acoustic signature, NOAA researchers will be able to more effectively use either towed or hull-mounted sonar systems (i.e., hydroacoustic technology), which uses sound waves to “see” fish and submerged objects on a computer screen and accurately measure their biomass within a given survey area. Scientists then use nets to retrieve the fish they see on the screen to verify what they are seeing and to determine “species specific signatures” of different populations. Once scientists learn the signatures, the nets and trawls used to collect biological information will be less important.
• Hover Capacity: In addition to being acoustically stealthy, OSCAR DYSON is equipped with a dynamic positioning system to help the ship hover at a fixed point on the ocean, thus allowing it to more accurately monitor undersea activity. The DP system coordinates the thrusters and main shaft so the vessel remains in one position or precise geographic location/coordinate.
• Other Unique Design Features: Other unique design features make the FSVs ideally designed for both fisheries and oceanographic missions. Unlike aged NOAA fisheries ships, which are outfitted to handle specific missions, OSCAR DYSON and its future sister ships will be able to carry and be fitted with a wide spectrum of gear, thus giving them maximum flexibility. If future missions require it, these ships could work off any coast in the United States and target the specific fisheries found there. The engine room is designed for unmanned operations and the integrated bridge system (with dynamic positioning capability) ensures trackline, course, speed and heading are maintained during scientific evolutions. Most of the main deck is reserved for mission functions. Additional mission areas include a large, walk-in scientific freezer, a conference room, a dive locker and an interior sampling station in which scientists and crew can collect water samples from conductivity/temperature/depth instruments out of the severe Bering Sea weather. OSCAR DYSON is also equipped with an electronics shop, a machine shop, and a bos’n shop. Each shop is supported with qualified personnel and is able to complete repairs to, and on occasion modify, scientific sampling equipment at sea. This capability has enabled adapting specialized equipment and fabricating damage parts to ensure project completion.

The unique design and highly advanced technological features that will characterize NOAA’s next generation of fisheries survey vessels will have a huge impact in managing the nation's valuable marine resources. The ship’s unique attributes set it apart from its predecessors, provide more efficient and cost-effective data collection and will heighten NOAA’s reputation as a world-class fisheries management organization. Because of its advanced sensing capabilities, it is also the newest link in the developing Global Earth Observing System of Systems. (Click on NOAA image to the right for a larger view of the new NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON. Please credit "NOAA.")

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson

NOAA RECEIVES NEW FISHERIES SURVEY VESSEL: Advanced Capabilities Provide Unique Fisheries Research Platform

VT HALTER MARINE AND NOAA LAUNCH HI-TECH FISHERIES SURVEY VESSEL;
ANNOUNCE CONTRACT AWARD FOR SECOND VESSEL

Launching of NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON (Oct. 17, 2003 Speach)

Construction Begins on New, Quiet Fisheries Survey Ship

Media Contact:
Jeanne Kouhestani, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, (301) 713-3431 ext. 220