R/V Hugh R. Sharp

R/V Hugh R. Sharp

(UNOLS Research Vessel)

 

Size: 146 feet and can accommodate 12 scientists for up to 10 days.

Range: Coastal waters from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, north to the Gulf of Maine, and east to Bermuda.

To conduct experiments at sea, marine scientists rely on well-equipped research ships. The 146-foot Hugh R. Sharp, operated by the University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies, conducts research in coastal waters from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, north to the Gulf of Maine, and east to Bermuda. The vessel's home port is Roosevelt Inlet at the College of Marine and Earth Studies' Lewes campus. The "R/V" is an abbreviation of "research vessel."

The R/V Hugh R. Sharp is a member of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), a fleet of academic-owned research vessels that receives approximately 70% of its funding from the National Science Foundation. The ship can accommodate up to 12 scientists on missions lasting up to 10 days, ranging from tracking coastal currents to studying shark behavior. It is equipped with a full range of oceanographic instrumentation including portable chemistry labs; a conductivity, temperature, and depth profiling system; an acoustic doppler current profiler; a meteorological and sea-surface mapping system; and a variety of sediment and water sampling equipment. Navigation is based on the global positioning system (GPS).

Click here to learn more about the R/V Hugh R. Sharp and the other members of the research fleet at the University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies.