The NOAA Ship DELAWARE II conducts fishery and
living marine resource research in support of NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), Northeast Fisheries Science
Center in Woods Hole, MA. The
ship's normal operating area is the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank,
and the continental shelf and slope from Southern New England to
Cape Hatteras, NC. Typical assessment work includes groundfish assessment
surveys and Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction
(MARMAP) surveys.
Research conducted from the DELAWARE II provides an understanding
of the physical and biological processes that control year-class
strength of key economical fish species. The vessel is operated
by the Office of NOAA Corps Operations. On November 29, 1996 the
DELAWARE II returned to Woods Hole from
Detyen's Shipyard in Charleston, South Carolina, where she was undergoing
an RTE (Repair to Extend it useful life), under the Fleet Replacement
and Modernization (FRAM) Program. This included the installation
of an INMARSAT-B high speed satellite connection which allows network
connections to the NEFSC and the internet.