WASHINGTON, DC - With a decision expected soon from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as to where its newest fisheries research vessel will be ported, Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry joined with Congressman Bill Delahunt today to urge that the ship be based out of Woods Hole.

The FSV Henry B. Bigelow is the newest vessel in the NOAA research fleet.  Named after one of Woods Hole's most revered scientists, it carries state-of-the-art equipment to help better understand the health of ground fish stocks.  It's hoped that the ship will replace the Woods Hole-based Albatross IV, launched during the Kennedy Administration, and set to be decommissioned later this year.  However, several other New England cities are vying for the Bigelow.

The Senators and Congressman wrote to retired Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, NOAA's top administrator to outline the case for home-porting the Bigelow at Woods Hole - home to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the Marine Biological Lab, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Research Center. The federal government invests over $150 million in oceanographic research in the Woods Hole community, and NOAA has played an important role in making southeastern Massachusetts a center of excellence for marine science and technology. For years, Woods Hole has become an ideal location for oceanographic research given its close proximity to New England's major fishing grounds, important marine habitats such as Stellwagen and Georges Bank, as well as research in the mid-Atlantic region.  

"It is inconceivable that a research vessel so important to the Woods Hole science community, including NOAA's own fisheries science center, could be located anywhere else but in Woods Hole," Congressman Delahunt said.

Senator Kerry said, "Having the government's newest fisheries research vessel based out of Woods Hole would further solidify Massachusetts as a vital player in marine technology and would provide valuable research to help fishing communities across America."

In addition, the Senators and Congressman are working on improvements to the Woods Hole navigation channel in order to enhance access for all local research vessels. In the meantime, WHOI has agreed to provide temporary berthing for the Bigelow until this work gets completed.
 

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