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Fisheries Survey Vessels
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On October 17, 2003, the first of a planned
four-ship class of new Fisheries Survey Vessels (FSVs)
was launched at VT Halter Marine, Inc., at their Moss
Point, MS facility. These 40-day endurance ships, called
the FSV-40 Class, will provide the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with world class
at-sea capabilities to conduct fisheries stock assessments
and associated fisheries, hydrographic and oceanographic
research. The first of the Class, R/V
OSCAR DYSON, will
be homeported in Kodiak, AK after delivery in August,
2004.
NOAA’s existing fleet of FSVs dates from the
1960s. While originally state-of-the-art, time and
technology have taken their toll, mandating a substantial
effort to modernize the fleet. Newer national and
international standards for ship design and construction
make ships safer and more reliable. New international
scientific standards, such as those developed by
the International Council for
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of the Seas (ICES) define acceptable mission performance
requirements for fisheries research ships. NOAA’s
FSV-40 Class will comply with all pertinent modern
standards, returning cutting edge, world class ships
in the United States inventory. In particular, the
requirements of the US Coast Guard, American Bureau
of Shipping and the International Maritime Organization
are applied to design and construction of the ship. |
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To standardize data from the FSV-40 Class
with that of other international fisheries agencies,
ICES Standard 209, Underwater Radiated Noise of Research
Vessels, will be applied. This standard limits the
noise generated by the ship at speeds up to 11 knots,
allowing for increased hydrographic survey accuracy
by minimizing fish avoidance behavior. To meet the
ICES requirement, considerable effort has been expended
in ship quieting technology, including a carefully
designed hullform and propeller, and special isolation
mounts for all major machinery and piping systems on
the ship.
The contract for construction of the second ship
of the Class was awarded to VT Halter Marine in July
of 2003. The second ship is intended to replace NOAA
Ship ALBATROSS IV, homeported in Woods Hole, MA,
in 2006. Funding for the third and fourth ships has
been requested by NOAA in FY05 and FY06, respectively.
FSV40-3 is planned to operate in the Southeast United
States, with FSV40-4 operating off the West Coast.
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