U.S. Oceanography Cornerstone Research Vessel Retires After 50 Years

 

A research vessel that has been the cornerstone of ocean science in the U.S. for five decades is set to retire, marking an end to an illustrious career. The R/V Endeavor, which has been synonymous with ocean research in the modern era, will retire on September 20 upon the completion of its final mission.

Two weeks ago, Endeavor embarked on its final mission, which was focused on the long-term impacts of oil and gas extraction on ecosystems along the Atlantic coast, including historical, active, and future production areas. On September 20, the vessel will return to its home port at the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Bay Campus in Narragansett, ending a long career in ocean science.

First launched in 1975, the ship is owned by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) under a charter party agreement. Endeavor was one of three intermediate-class research vessels commissioned by NSF and built by Peterson Builders, in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

At 185 feet (56 meters) and officially christened at the GSO pier on December 11, 1976, the vessel was designed from the keel up for oceanographic work, a floating laboratory built to advance exploration and discovery. Nuala Pell, the wife of Senator Claiborne Pell, broke the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow.

 

 

Based out of Narragansett, Endeavor has lived up to its billing as the cornerstone of oceanography in the U.S., spending approximately 200 days a year at sea for five decades. Her illustrious career is unrivalled. She brought on board over 8,000 scientists, engineers, technicians, students, and teachers who spent 9,600 days at sea carrying out a total of 736 scientific expeditions. Over her long career, Endeavor sailed over one million miles and made port calls in 22 countries.

The longest expedition for the ship with a capacity of 16 scientists, 12 crewmembers, and two marine technicians was 38 days, while the deepest instrument deployment was at a depth of 8,700 meters.

Endeavor’s career started through baptism by fire. Only four days after her christening, she found herself responding to one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history after tanker Argo Merchant ran aground off Nantucket Island during a storm on December 15, 1976. The tanker was carrying more than 7.7 million gallons of heavy fuel oil that spilled into the ocean after the tanker broke apart.

The disaster thrust Endeavor on her first mission studying the movement of currents, analyzing the spread of oil hydrocarbons, and assessing the impact on marine ecosystems. The series of trips to the spill site lasted three months and is considered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to be the birth of oil spill response.

Apart from the spill response, the ship has also been instrumental in the advancement of the oil and gas industry. Owing to her proximity to the Gulf Stream, the vessel has led a number of missions, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, focusing on circulation and biogeochemistry studies.

 

Narragansett Dawn, now under construction, will start sailing in 2027 as the new research vessel (URI)

 

A key milestone for Endeavor’s history was in 1993 when she underwent a major mid-life refit that saw her length increased from 177 feet to her current overall length of 185 feet (56 meters). After that, she would go on to carry out other critical missions like responding to the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, delivering humanitarian aid, and undertaking post-earthquake seafloor surveys. The same year, she was involved in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in the Gulf of Mexico.

Following the retirement of Endeavor, URI is preparing to welcome a new research vessel at its Narragansett Bay Campus pier. The $125 million vessel, which is also owned by NSF and has been named Narragansett Dawn, will arrive in 2027. The 199-foot (61-meter) ship is being constructed at the Bollinger Houma Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana.