New Alaska Region Research Vessel Awarded
Alaska Region Research Vessel - Source: NSF
The National Science Foundation (NSF) made its first major award under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to construct the Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV). This investment will not only provide a technologically advanced tool for science but help preserve jobs and promote economic recovery.
The three-year construction phase of the project will support 4,350 total jobs–750 directly at the shipyard and as many as 3,600 in the broader economy. NSF intends to ensure that the ARRV is built in a U.S. shipyard.
The ARRV is a 242-foot research ship that has a hull designed specifically to operate in seasonal Arctic sea ice and open waters surrounding Alaska. Its advanced over-the-side handling systems for science equipment will improve safety and efficiency. The ship is designed for low environmental impact, including reduced underwater radiated noise levels for improved fisheries and acoustics research, as well as lower stack emissions for atmospheric research. The ARRV will carry more than 500 researchers and students annually and spend as many as 300 days per year at sea. It will be operational in support of oceanographic research for at least 30 years.
Excerpted from NFS Press Release – full release
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