Science at Sea: Meeting Future Oceanographic Goals with a Robust Academic Research Fleet (2009)

The U.S. academic research fleet is an essential national resource, providing ships that allow oceanographers to collect measurements and analyze data from the near-shore to the deep ocean. Oceanographers are embracing a host of remote technologies that can facilitate the collection of data, but will continue to require capable, adaptable research vessels for access to the sea. Growing awareness of the ocean's critical role in environmental processes means that understanding issues such as climate change, ocean acidification, and tsunami generation is an increasingly high priority for national and worldwide health and security, and is likely to increase scientific demands on the fleet. This report recommends that maintaining U.S. leadership in ocean research will require investing in larger and more capable general purpose ships; involving the scientific community in all phases of ship design and acquisition; and improving coordination between agencies that operate research fleets.