Purchase of oceanography research vessel

• Grant number: 09/54161-0
• Support Opportunities: Multi-user Equipment Program
• Start date: January 01, 2011
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Dottori
• Grantee: Marcelo Dottori
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• EMU web page: Página do Equipamento Multiusuário não informada
• Type of equipment: Infraestrutura - Veículos - Equipamento
• Manufacturer: Fabricante não informado
• Model: Modelo não informado

Abstract

This proposal is aimed at the acquisition of a midsized ocean-going vessel to be used in the service of scientific research on the inner and middle continental shelf, especially along the coast of south and southeastern Brazil, conducted by the USP Oceanographic Institute (IO). The vessel requested is a 65-foot (approximately 20-m), steel-hulled ship, painted with anti-corrosion coating. The ship is powered by a diesel engine (main engine) and has a generator, a fresh water tank, a diesel tank, a side platform for hydrographic survey, and a stern gantry with a hydraulic winch, allowing the launch of various state-of-the-art devices for oceanographic studies in the field of geology, chemistry, physics, and biology. The features of the ship make it particularly well-suited to research conducted along the coast of the State of São Paulo, at low cost. A vessel of this type will enhance the performance of the IO- USP in international studies and will improve coastal marine management, mainly by providing support for public policies recently implemented in the region, such as the São Paulo State Coastal Management Plan and its Ecological and Economic Zoning Project, as well as management plans such as the Marine Protected Areas of the State of São Paulo. The vessel requested will bridge a gap in the floating resources available to the IO- USP, which are or much larger, such as the 165-foot (50-m) oceanographic research vessel “Prof. W. Besnard, or much smaller, such as the 50-foot (14-m) trawlers “Velliger II” and “Albacore”. It will therefore allow data to be collected in part of the research area covered, at a much lower cost than that incurred with larger ships and yet with a degree of autonomy (the capacity to sleep a small crew) not provided by the trawlers. This new, multifunctional vessel will be employed in fostering national and international partnerships, especially in projects involving the collection of time series data or in situ experiments lasting several days. Graduate and postgraduate courses, as well as thesis work, will also benefit from the on-board pursuit of practical studies, because the boat will accommodate a greater number of students at a lower cost. The high cost of operating large ocean-going vessels is currently the major limiting factor to expanding the use of such vessels for teaching purposes. (AU)