The following is a summary of NOAA ship operations in October and November 2023:
Bell M. Shimada transited to a shipyard in Anacortes, Washington, where it will undergo dockside repairs from November to January.
Fairweather completed a leg of the Southeast Alaska project off the coasts of Ketchikan, Alaska. Upon completion of the project, Fairweather transited to a shipyard in Seattle, Washington for its winter drydock period from November to February.
Ferdinand R. Hassler is drydocked at a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, from October to February for its winter repair period.
Gordon Gunter is alongside Pascagoula, Mississippi, for dockside repairs until January.
Henry B. Bigelow completed the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Autumn Bottom Trawl Survey off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. Upon completing the survey, Henry B. Bigelow returned home to Newport, Rhode Island, where it will undergo dockside repairs from November to February.
Nancy Foster conducted a basic officer training cruise for NOAA’s newest officer candidates. The ship will undergo dockside repairs in Charleston, South Carolina, from January to February.
Okeanos Explorer completed a leg of the 2023 EXPRESS: Exploration of Central California Coast project. This project supports the 2023 Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems Exploration (EXPRESS), a multiyear, multipartner cooperative research campaign designed to collect deep-sea data to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments. In December, the ship is expected to complete the 2023 EXPRESS: West Coast Exploration ROV and VIP Dives project before transiting to Vallejo, California for its winter drydock period. The ship will be drydocked from December to March.
Oregon II completed two legs of the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program Fall Groundfish Survey in the Gulf of Mexico to gather stock assessment data. While underway, the ship played a key role in the initial observation of the oil slick and reported observations to NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration to assist with assessments and trajectory forecasting. In December, Oregon II will transit to a shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina, for its winter repair period. The ship will be drydocked from December to February.
Oscar Dyson is drydocked in a shipyard in Seattle, Washington for its winter drydock period. The ship will be drydocked until the end of December.
Oscar Elton Sette completed a leg of the Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (HICEAS). This survey provides data on whale, dolphin, and seabird populations along the Hawaiian Island coasts. Upon completion, the ship will undergo dockside repairs in Hawaii from December to January.
Pisces completed two legs of the Northeast Ecosystem Monitoring off the coasts of Newport, Rhode Island, and Norfolk, Virginia. Pisces hosted basic officer training during its transit to Charleston, South Carolina where it will undergo dockside repairs from December to February.
Rainier is alongside in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii after experiencing a fire onboard during operations of the Rainier Integrated Charting Hydrography and Reef Dynamics project. Incident investigation and damage assessment are ongoing.
Reuben Lasker completed a HICEAS leg from Vallejo, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. This survey provides data on whale, dolphin, and seabird populations in the Pacific ocean. In December, the ship is expected to complete another HICEAS leg during a transit from Honolulu, Hawaii, to San Diego, California, and multi-function trawl testing.
Ronald H. Brown is drydocked at the Bollinger shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for its midlife repair period. This ship is expected to be back online in September 2024.
Thomas Jefferson is drydocked at a shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina, from November to January for its winter repair period.
*As of Nov. 30, 2023
United States