June 24th
Call the Meeting - Ken Johnson, UNOLS Chair, called the UNOLS Council meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. on 24 June, 1997. The meeting agenda was followed in the order as reported here-in, see Appendix I. The meeting participant list is included as Appendix II.
Opening Remarks and Welcome - Dr. Theodore Moore, Director of the Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Science, University of Michigan welcomed the UNOLS Council and meeting participants. He remarked that UNOLS is moving in the right direction by building new partnerships. Long-term partnerships are important. Efforts are also being made in the Great Lakes to build partnerships. There has been success with both EPA and NOAA.
Accept Minutes - The minutes of the January 1997 UNOLS Council
meeting were accepted as written.
Fleet Improvement Committee (FIC) - Chris Mooers, FIC Chair, reviewed the preliminary agenda for the 21-22 July meeting at the University of Rhode Island, see Appendix V. On day one, reports are planned from the UNOLS Chair and the ad-hoc committee for mid-Pacific SMRs. Chris reported that he had been contacted regarding a fuel cell proposed for R/V propulsion. After further review and if appropriate, this topic may be added to the agenda. It was commented that an MOU has been prepared between NOAA, USCG and Navy to do an on-shore demonstration. The remainder of the day will be devoted to discussing FIP98 with representatives from long range planning groups. Day two will continue with discussion on FIP98. The meeting will wrap-up by identifying and assigning action items. Tom Royer commented that an OSB report addressing long range plans should be out in a year. In review of Major Ocean Programs, future work does not look promising for UNOLS.
Research Vessel Operators' Committee (RVOC) - Paul Ljunggren, RVOC Chair, reported that he is in the process of preparing the agenda for the fall RVOC meeting and expects to have a strawman out soon. The agenda will most likely include a workshop on satellite communications. In other RVOC activities, WHOI is preparing a proposal to develop an R/V Safety Video. The video will complement the safety training manual. It is estimated to take nine months to complete.
Paul continued by reporting that he had attended a Great Lakes Workshop in March on behalf of UNOLS. The meeting was attended by approximately 80 people representing marine operators, scientists and managers. There are approximately 60 research vessels under 65 feet in length in the Great Lakes. The vessels are owned by a number of different sources; federal, state, municipalities, universities, etc. Paul briefed the group on the UNOLS model. They are interested in our use of the WEB as a way of promoting communications and networking. The Council suggested having a Great Lakes representative attend one of our Council Meetings in the future when they are a bit further along in their organization.
Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee (RVTEC) - John Freitag, RVTEC Chair, reported on plans for the 1997 RVTEC Meeting to be held on 27-29 October at the University of Washington. The meeting will include a workshop on marine corrosion. A representative from SeaNet will make a presentation. Other potential activities include a plant tour of the Seabird facility. RVTEC is also working on a salary survey. They hope to have the results available at their next meeting.
Ship Scheduling Committee (SSC) - Don Moller, SSC Chair, reviewed the results and recommendations of the 17 June Scheduling Review Meeting held at the National Science Foundation. Don Moller, Chair; Robert Hinton, Vice Chair; Jack Bash, UNOLS; and Federal agency representatives attended. 1997 operations/conflicts were reviewed. Don reported that there could be a potential conflict between EWING and ATLANTIS operations at the North East Pacific Rise this fall. EWING will require a 40 to 60 mile radius free of other operations. Another conflict has arisen as a result of the THOMPSON Z-drive failure in June. The ship will be out of service into the fall and its cruises will need to be rescheduled. This conflict will also impact 1998 schedules.
Don continued his report with a review by the total operations days for 1998 in comparison to previous years, see Appendix VI. For 1998, there are approximately 500 days less scheduled on UNOLS ships than in 1997, this includes all pending ship time. This is partially due to a high decline rate of proposals. Additionally, many of the large global field programs of previous years have wound down. Total days to be funded by NSF and ONR are down compared to 1995, 1996 and 1997 totals. Both NAVO and NOAA scheduled days are increased from previous years.
On the whole, schedules for Class IV and<IV ships are healthy. However, all Class III vessel schedules are light with OCEANUS and ENDEAVOR having duplicate schedules. For the UNOLS Class I/II vessels, there are total of 21 programs, eight in the Atlantic and thirteen in the Pacific. THOMPSON's 1997 down time will impact ATLANTIS' 1998 schedule. The large ship operators will need to convene to sort out their schedules. As a result of the light 1998 schedules, efficiency will most likely dictate a re-alignment of some cruises in addition to full or partial lay-ups of multiple ships. This year, for the first time, a ship schedule for a NOAA vessel was included in the review. NOAA's RON BROWN schedule was presented. The ship will conduct only NOAA funded work in 1998.
The Council expressed their concern regarding the decline in ship time demand. There was discussion on the future of major ocean programs. The Council also expressed concern towards the drastic decline of ONR ship time in 1998. ONR ship time in 1998 is down approximately 200 days from 1997.
DEep Submergence Science Committee (DESSC) - Mike Perfit reported on ATLANTIS, ALVIN and ROV operations in 1997 and plans for the future. His viewgraphs are included as Appendix VII. The first half of this year has been a very busy. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has done a great job of getting ATLANTIS/ALVIN ready to sail on schedule after the overhaul and delivery of the new ship. The ALVIN engineering dives and recertification, which took place off Bermuda in early June, went smoothly. Science operations in 1997 for ATLANTIS is to begin with work at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) for two dive programs; one that includes filming by the British Broadcasting Corp., another, headed by Bob Vrijenhoek of Rutgers U. that was in cooperation with U.K. BRIDGE scientists. The remainder of the 1997 ATLANTIS schedule is up in the air due to THOMPSON's Z-drive problem. (Note: Since the Council Meeting, ATLANTIS' schedule was revised. After the MAR operations, ATLANTIS heads to the eastern Pacific where it will briefly work off the California coast before heading to the Juan de Fuca Ridge to accommodate several deep submergence research programs that were in serious jeopardy of being delayed for a year because of mechanical problems with R/V THOMPSON's Z-drive. The remainder of the year will see ALVIN/ATLANTIS on the northern EPR before ATLANTIS must undergo a Navy Post Shipyard Availability period in San Diego that will last until approximately April 1998.)
Other activities of DESSC include working with WHOI-DSF to upgrade the capabilities and data products of the vehicles, and to work on a policy and plan for archiving data from all of the DSF vehicles. Eight to ten upgrades recommended by DESSC have been completed. Additionally, WHOI successfully proposed an upgrade plan for navigation, imaging and operational equipment to the agencies which was approved for funding.
Jason, Argo-II and the DSL-120 sonar are working well. Jason was used on a science cruise (headed by P. Fryer - U. Hawaii) in the western Pacific early this year which was affected by equipment, personnel and weather problems. The full suite of ROV and tethered vehicles was then used to complete a first-of-its-kind, forensic survey program for the U.K. Dept. of Transport on the wreck of the DERBYSHIRE. That cruise was extremely successful. Next, Jason will be used in the Mediterranean for an ONR funded cruise headed by R. Ballard (WHOI). Educating users on deep submergence field program approaches using the full suite of DSF vehicles is a goal of DESSC. Susan Humphris, Dan Fornari and Mike Perfit are writing a paper for EOS on this topic.
DESSC, NSF, ONR and NOAA are close to agreement upon guidelines for the utilization and development of third-party tools for the National Deep Submergence Facility vehicles. The finalized guidelines will be posted on the DESSC homepage.
Mike continued by discussing long range plans for DESSC. They will begin to focus on topics associated with future (10-20 year) facility needs (submersible, ROV, AUV) for deep submergence science, science justifications for the facilities, and the potential fiscal impacts of various options. Planning for the next ROV design needs to begin now. There is a need for a state-of-the-art, robust, vehicle with a depth capability of at least 6000m. The DESSC also needs to explore how to best utilize decommissioned U.S. Navy deep submergence assets. The Navy plans to retire both SEACLIFF and ATV.
Next, Mike reviewed the summary of requests for ALVIN/ROV use in 1998 and beyond, see Appendix VII. There is high demand for operations at Juan de Fuca, Southern East Pacific Rise and North East Pacific Rise. A world map indicating the regions of interest, shows that there is still a lot of work in the traditional areas.
Mike presented the tentative schedule for 1998. This scheduling has been very complex and has been compounded by the fact that ALVIN was in overhaul, so some programs have been waiting for it to be back in service. In addition, many scientists have been waiting for more than a year to use ATLANTIS and the deep submergence vehicles in many parts of the Atlantic and Pacific on programs that have been funded over the past two years. Arranging a schedule that meets all of the PIs needs/schedules/desires, funding agencies priorities and fiscal constraints, as well as the requirements for the Navy PSA in early 1998, has been complex; requiring extensive communication and coordination between all parties. DESSC has worked to facilitate communication and will devote time at their July meeting to discuss scheduling issues. Mike urged the NSF Program Managers to meet and establish priorities for the funded programs.
The Council discussed the scheduling issue. Ken suggested that UNOLS needs
to be more of a cheerleader for the Fleet citing DESSC's success in promoting
ALVIN/ROV use. It was suggested that future ship scheduling reports should include
maps showing ship time regions of interest. It was also suggested to color code
the map to show funded and unfunded work. The Council needs to act as a catalyst
to promote ship time.
Naval Oceanographic Center (NAVO) - CDR. Jim Trees provided a set of viewgraphs which are included as Appendix VIII. The first view graph explained the various programs that were completed/scheduled in 1997 with money from the National Oceans Partnership Act. Approximately $6M went for ship operations, $700K for processing and $600K for admin. Jim expressed the satisfaction NAVO had with the UNOLS work. Ship riders were pleased with the enthusiasm, cooperation and accommodations. Jim provided the programs planned for 1998 with the anticipated same level of funding. The first priority will be 180 days of gravity work in the Gulf of Alaska. This is planned for two different ships. A continuation of the Physical Oceanographic work is the second priority. Third is work in the AUTEC range. Two additional programs were on his list but unlikely to go to sea in 1998 because of funding limitations. These are work in the Bay of Bengal and a Hawaiian Ridge Study. Jim commented that this was a very efficient and effective way for NAVO to get data.
Department of State - Tom Cocke reported that clearance problems seem to be on the rise. More than 50% of the clearance requests arrive in his office late. This makes his job more difficult. In addition, Post Cruise Obligations are not being submitted on time. Only 27% were submitted on time and 18% are still outstanding. A discussion was held on how to help the process. Don Heinrichs said that the National Science Foundation is committed to pressure those scientists with late requirements. This process has been very effective in the past. Tom concluded by informing the Council that foreign states are pushing for more participation in the cruises and he sees this trend continuing.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - The NOAA report was given by CDR. Beth White. Beth reported that NOAA completed/scheduled major cruises on WECOMA, SEWARD JOHNSON, REVELLE and KNORR in 1997. On 19 July, RON BROWN will be commissioned in Charleston, SC. The first cruise for BROWN is scheduled to start 1 August. The ship will sail to San Francisco after the first cruise, arriving 1 September 1997.
A possible 5% cut to the NOAA 1998 budget has been recommended by a congressional committee. If this happens NOAA plans to lay up FERRELL, reduce BROWN ship days by 40 and reduce UNOLS "outsourcing" by $300K. Legislation is working its way through Congress to disestablish the NOAA Corps. It is not known whether or not it will survive.
Beth read a NURP update prepared by Gene Smith and Barbara Moore, see Appendix IX. NOAA NURP has been officially informed by the Navy that the ATV will be decommissioned and will be available on 1 October 1998. NURP would like to hear from the scientific community to determine their interest in this vehicle. A re-invented NURP continues to progress and has been included in the 1998 President's budget request for the first time. Beginning this year all investigators seeking NURP support for ALVIN are to submit their proposals to one of the six NURP centers. Submission is open to all, not only NOAA scientists. Proposals will be competitively reviewed. Center schedules for proposals is provided in Appendix IX.
National Science Foundation (NSF) - Don Heinrichs provided the NSF report. For 1998, the budget is expected to be level. There will be a new major initiative, the Knowledge and Technology Initiative (KTI). NSF will be receiving $5M in "new" money for 1998 to investigate Life in Extreme Environments (LEXEN). NSF will be coupled with NASA in studying life and earth environments.
In other items, a Committee of Visitors (COVs) is being convened and will review NSF facilities. Facilities award process will be a focus. The agencies are establishing Performance Goals. The goals include: 1) Facilities will operate efficiently through upgrades and scheduling; 2) Facilities should serve a broad spectrum; 3) Facilities should enhance science programs. NSF will need to compile Facility Performance Requirements. They will contact the UNOLS Office for Fleet statistics.
Don provided some staffing news. Lisa Rom is back in Washington. Her duties are being sorted out. Sandy Shor will remain in OCE through September.
Oceanographer of the Navy (OON) - The OON report was given by Pat Dennis. Pat praised Woods Hole for their wonderful show bringing ATLANTIS and ALVIN to Washington. It was well received. During the Year of the Ocean (1998) more tours should be planned throughout the country.
The keel will be laid for TAG 64 in August or September. The ship will be launched in about 12 months. There will be a national contest for school children (K-12) to name this ship. Details of the contest can be found on the Oceanographer's Homepage (http://oceanographer.navy.mil/ contest.html). Construction of a fifth TAG is being considered for the budget.
Pat reported that ONR has set aside $500K to support investigation and resolution of the AGOR Z-drive problems. THOMPSON will be inspecting its damaged upper gear. It may be possible to use the upper unit of ATLANTIS. (subsequent to this report it was found that a alignment difference would not make this transfer feasible).
NAVSEA was forwarded the UNOLS Science Mission Requirements for a Central Pacific research vessel. At present, there is no design money earmarked to proceed. ONR and NAVSEA are working on ways to release money for this process. The ship design will be driven by the requirements and the money available. The initial effort will be to evaluate a SWATH design. If this is not feasible within the funds available a mono-hull will be evaluated. The Navy is encouraging an accelerated acquisition process by turning industry onto the project early.
Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) - The CORE report was presented by Dan Schwartz. Dan has been assigned to CORE as a Policy Fellow. His viewgraphs are included as Appendix X. Dan began his presentation with a review of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP). The National Oceanographic Partnership Act was signed into law for the 1997 budget and appropriated $20.5M. Formation of a National Oceanographic Research Leadership Council is in resolution. A list of its membership is included in Appendix X. It will be jointly chaired by the Secretary of the Navy and the Administer of NOAA. An Ocean Research Advisory Panel was formed to determine how the NOPP funds will be spent. A Broad Area Announcement was put out for NOPP and 220 pre-proposals were received. Fifty-five groups submitted proposals and 11 were funded. The awards for 1997 have been made and can be found on the CORE homepage. A Program Office will be selected for start up in July 1997. (Note: Since the meeting, CORE was selected as the Program Office.) Of the $20.5M appropriated in the NOPP, $7.5M was designated for NAVO use on UNOLS Vessels. This purchased nearly 400 days of ship time in 1997. SeaNet was also funded with this money. A list of the other programs funded is included on the view graphs presented by Dan that are listed in Appendix X.
A NOPA 2 program is presently being worked through Congress for FY98. The same
fundamental components are included and a total of $28M is sought. For FY99
and out years the agencies of NSF, NOAA and Navy will need to include the money
in their budgets. Dan encouraged the UNOLS community to stay in touch with their
respective state's Congressional delegation.
UNOLS/NAVO Partnership: Jim Trees' presentation was covered in the Agency reports above. Feedback from this year's operations have been very positive.
UNOLS/NOAA Cooperation: Ken Johnson reviewed the status of the NOAA(OAR)/UNOLS Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The Council discussed the latest draft. Minor changes were suggested. A motion was made to approve the MOU subject to the incorporation of the recommended revisions.
NOAA Fishery Needs: Both Jim Meehan and Jim Coe of NOAA/NMFS provided a summary of the NMFS ship requirements. Six ships, 100% dedicated to NMFS work, would be the core of their ship requirements. These ships need not be owned or operated by NOAA/NMFS but they must be dedicated to the fisheries requirements. The ships must be acoustically quiet (only two other ships in the world have been built to these strict standards) and should be about 200 feet long. Three would be located on the east coast and three on the west coast. Conceptual design requirements for these ships are in progress. They hope to be able to acquire fully outfitted ships for under $50M each.
Jim reported that a total of 4,400 days at sea are needed to complete their mandated work. This breaks down to 1,600 days for NOAA vessels, 700 days on foreign ships and the 2,100 days would be outsourced on fishing vessels or oceanographic vessels. In the past, only a portion of the 4,400 days have been funded. NOAA is looking towards Congress for additional support. Their major need is for stock assessment. However, NMFS plans 400 to 500 days annually of fisheries oceanography. This work would be suited for UNOLS ships.
University of Alaska Replacement Plans for ALPHA HELIX - Tom Royer provided a report for the University of Alaska. ALPHA HELIX is the oldest ship in the UNOLS Fleet. The University has been increasing its emphasis on fisheries research. They have opened discussions with NOAA/PMEL pursuing the idea of building a fisheries research vessel that can be used by both the University and NOAA/PMEL. There is congressional interest in this effort. The three choices facing the University of Alaska are: (1) retire ALPHA HELIX without replacement; (2) move another UNOLS ship to Alaska; or (3) replacement with a new ship. The new ship option is the preferred one by Alaska. Tom recommended that the Fleet Improvement Committee develop Science Mission Requirements (SMRs) for a research vessel that is: 1) ice capable; 2) capable for fisheries research; and 3) operationally economic (low day rate).
Fisheries Discussion - Considerable discussion on fishery needs followed by the Council. The NOAA/NMFS representatives were supportive of Alaska's plan as long as it did not replace a dedicated fisheries research vessel for their needs. It was recognized that both academia and NOAA/NMFS could benefit by a partnership. It was recommended that when looking at replacement of the intermediate vessels, consideration should be given to building in fisheries research capabilities while maintaining the general purpose capabilities. As a first step, Ken Johnson suggested that he sit down with the senior NMFS management to work out common ground on this issue.
Structure of the Council - Cindy Lee opened a discussion on the current structure of the Council and the format of the meetings. She is concerned that the meetings are unduly filled with routine reports and time is not allotted for serious policy issues and long range planning. She also was concerned that the membership of the council should be more science oriented and less operator oriented. The operator bias tends to make discussions on ship lay-ups and ship relocation near impossible. After much discussion it was decided that a review of the UNOLS Charter was in order as it dealt with these issues. Cindy was appointed to chair an ad hoc committee. Bob Knox and a yet to be named third person would also be appointed. The committee would report their progress at the September Council meeting.
Reassessing the Status of a UNOLS Research Vessel - Bob Wall has chaired an ad hoc committee investigating the UNOLS Fleet and particularly the smaller vessels doing coastal research. The concern is that there are coastal scientists that do not have the same advantages of using capable research vessels because their requirements are modest and there are not enough small research vessels in the UNOLS Fleet. However, there is concern within UNOLS that opening the fleet to a larger number of small ships would further dilute the already scarce funds available. The Council discussed the pros and cons of the addition of small ships. On the positive side, by entering the UNOLS Fleet, the operator agrees to maintain their ship to UNOLS safety standard. It was pointed out under the present scenario UNOLS welcomes small vessels into the fleet. Don Heinrichs reported that from the NSF perspective there does not seem to be pressure to make changes or add small vessels to UNOLS. After discussion it was decided to continue with the status quo.
AGOR Z-drive Thruster Status - THOMPSON, MELVILLE and KNORR have experienced Z-drive gear problems. A history of some of these problems is included as Appendix XI. Bob Knox expanded on the details of the gear failures. At least two of the problems were traced to bad metallurgy in that the gears were not properly hardened. Groundings before delivery could also be contributory.
The most recent failure was to the upper gears in THOMPSON. An investigation of the lower gear box on this Z-drive was underway while the Council was meeting. The concern was that the upper gear failure may have caused damage to lower gears. Pat Dennis reported that preliminary reports from the inspection revealed no damage to the lower gear in THOMPSON. ONR is funding a study by The Glosten Associates to investigate the gear failures to ascertain what might be the problem.
UNOLS Ship Day Rate - Ken Johnson had been in several discussions concerning ship's day rate in the past months including a discussion at FOFCC and thought it appropriate to bring this topic up for Council attention. It has been claimed that day rates continue to climb even when use increases. Additionally, ships of the same class often have different day rates even when the number of operating days remain the same. Are there management efficiencies to be uncovered? Bob Knox provided two viewgraphs, a table and a chart, showing day rates for the large ships from 1992 through 1996. The figures were taken from the NSF budgets. The figures showed that there is some variance in rates from year to year and that on the whole there was a slight trend down. Discussion followed. The consensus was that each ship was involved in a multitude of variables with respect to its operating schedule. Programmatic, labor cost and fuel cost differences cause much of the variability. Ship operators are vary conscious of the need to keep costs down. They are under both competitive pressure and scrutiny from the facilities program manager to be as efficient as possible. The problem is constantly being worked. Additionally, The Glosten Associates will be requested to study the large ship fuel efficiencies. The Council concluded that no action is necessary. (Appendix XII)
Request for ATLANTIS to become a UNOLS Vessel - WHOI has submitted an application to designate ATLANTIS as a UNOLS Vessel, see Appendix XIII. The UNOLS Council voted unanimously to admit ATLANTIS as a UNOLS vessel.
Application for UNOLS Membership for Southern California Marine Institute - The Council reviewed the membership application for Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI), see Appendix XIV. SCMI is a consortium of which one of its members is also a UNOLS Member. After some discussion of consortium membership while the consortium members are also UNOLS members the application was voted on and unanimously passed reserving the right to review this consortium/single institution membership arrangement in the future. SCMI's membership application will be taken up for a vote at the UNOLS Annual Meeting.
Scheduling Ad-hoc Review Group - Jack Bash reported on the implementation of the recommendations from the ad-hoc group reviewing scheduling procedures. An extensive revision to the web program for scheduling is under development. This includes a two-part ship time request form which can be filled and distributed through the web. Completing the form not only distributes the request to all concerned but posts the request on a world map in the appropriate operating area. This can be accessed by all PIs to provide better coordination between programs and to promote collaboration. It also provides a way to track cruise requests. A down loaded, printed form will substitute for the NSF 831 form traditionally sent in with a science proposal requiring ship time. Part 2 of this form is to be completed and submitted when the program is funded or when the program manager believes the submission would be important for planning.
The final part of the new procedure includes an on-line ship schedule form. This will be completed by the ship schedulers. The consistent format will allow information to be used to develop cruise tracks for those ship venturing out of their local area. These tracks will be posted on the web to facilitate planning and to permit each PI on the schedule to keep abreast of changing schedules. In addition, a "transit bank" will be set up. Deposits will be automatically made when the scheduler believes a transit can be used as a "ship of opportunity" on a not-to-interfere basis. Persons interested in withdrawing from the bank can enter the UNOLS web site where it is posted and contact the scheduler for more detail and coordination. It is anticipated that the bank will be used by graduate students, teachers with students or possibly public relations efforts.
White Paper on Crewing Requirements - Jack Bash reported that a supplemental proposal is being funded to support a study by the Glosten Associates on crewing requirements and admeasurement rule changes as they affect new ship construction. A purchase order to fund the study is progressing through the URI system.
SEA CLIFF Retirement - Mike Perfit provided a series of viewgraphs on the retirement of SEACLIFF and the potential future uses by the deep submergence community, see Appendix XV. The U.S. Navy is in the process of decommissioning its deep submergence vehicles, and have requested input from DESSC regarding the effective utilization of the SEACLIFF and the facility needs of the U.S. academic, deep submergence community. A preliminary response to these issues was provided to ONR in December 1996. In addition, DESSC developed a questionnaire and distributed it to the community. Over 400 questionnaires were mailed out in addition to a web version. The UNOLS Office received 106 responses. A specially convened Working Group met in March, 1997 to review the survey results and deliberate on these issues. A Working Group report is being finalized. This report will provide ONR with recommendations pertaining to specific options regarding the disposition of Navy assets. The main conclusions of the report are that:
Interim Fleet Improvement Plan (IFIP) - Chris Mooers provided an update to the Interim Fleet Improvement Plan. The draft plan had been sent around for review and comments received. Chris reviewed the comments and integrated changes where possible, see Appendix XVI for a summary. Discussion followed. The consensus was that the plan should be tightened up to briefly state the problem and that downsizing may be necessary if funding projections are accurate. This should be followed by an outline of various downsizing options along with a summary of the impact of such reductions/modifications to the fleet. Chris will revise the plan.
Ship Inspection Program - Jack Bash reported that an RFP was sent out for the Ship Inspection Program and four qualified responses were received. A technical review group evaluated the responses and unanimously agreed on the highest rated proposal. As it turned out it was also the lowest cost. The University of Rhode Island will be officially notifying the successful proposal now that funding has been identified. The contract was negotiated by the UNOLS Office and will be administrated by Dick West at NSF.
SeaNet Update - John Freitag provided an update of SeaNet which is included as Appendix XVII. Ellen Kappel of JOI, as PI, received funding through the National Oceanographic Partnership Program to move to the operational level of SeaNet. This is an extension of the Internet to the oceanographic fleet. This funding was in the amount of $1.478M. The plan includes multiple partners and will call for the installation of five SeaNet units on UNOLS vessels utilizing Inmarsat B. The concept has been successfully tested on THOMPSON and the JOIDES RESOLUTION. A SeaNet Advisory Council will be established to provide guidance and advice to SeaNet operations including recommending ships for installation.
UNOLS Council Membership - Denny Hayes has been appointed to chair the Nominating Committee. Two other members to the committee will be selected. The Council terms of Bob Knox, Denny Hayes and Cindy Lee will expire in September. Both Cindy and Bob are eligible to run for a second term. Nominating instructions are included as Appendix XVIII.
UNOLS Brochure - The Council approved the UNOLS Office's request that a new UNOLS brochure be produced replacing the nearly depleted 1991 version.
SECOR Update - Chris Mooers provided the Council an update on SECOR. A copy of his presentation is included as Appendix XIX. A catamaran is planned for the replacement of CALANUS. Design and building bids are being evaluated by a naval architect firm.
The MOU between Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and the University of Miami has been signed. In addition to ship operations, the MOU provides for cooperation in both research and education. A joint faculty oversight committee has been formed.
A SECOR Science Planning Workshop was held 21-23 April at Stennis Space Center. Forty participants from 20 Gulf state institutions plus representatives from AOML, SEFSC, NRL, CNMOC, NAVO and EPA attended. The focus of this workshop was cooperative science projects. Current core members of SECOR are: University of Miami, University of Texas and Texas A & M University. NOAA's AOML is an associate member. SECOR plans to incorporate additional members and use an Internet web page to coordinate activities.
Post Cruise Assessment Forms - Post Cruise assessment forms are now on the web accessible through the UNOLS Homepage.
Department of Commerce Fishing Vessel Buyout Program - Jack Bash reported that 19 institutions expressed interest in the fishing vessel buyout program. At least four institutions were approached by fishermen. The University of Minnesota is working out arrangements to acquire an eight year old vessel through the program. Jack reported that he visited the ship in Maine at the request of Tom Johnson and it looks like it will suite the needs of Wisconsin. The ship will operate out of Duluth, MN.
BLUE FIN Replacement Status - BLUE FIN's replacement has been funded and is in the final planning stage. Skidaway is prepared to make a presentation to FIC when appropriate. The ship will classed to ABS.
UNOLS Annual Meeting - The UNOLS Annual Meeting is scheduled for 18 September. Potential keynote speakers were discussed.
Calendar for UNOLS Meetings:
MEETING |
LOCATION |
DATES |
| DESSC | Woods Hole, MA | 16-18 July 1997 |
| Ship Scheduling Committee | Arlington, VA | 15 September 1997 |
| Schedule Review | Arlington, VA | 16 September 1997 |
| UNOLS Council | Arlington, VA | 17 September 1997 |
| UNOLS Annual | Arlington, VA | 18 September 1997 |
| RVOC | Woods Hole, MA | 21-23 October 1997 |
| RVTEC | Seattle, WA | 27-29 October 1997 |
| DESSC | San Francisco, CA | 7 December 1997 |
The Meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
Call the Meeting: Ken Johnson, UNOLS Chair, will call the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. on 24 June, 1997.
Opening Remarks and Welcome: Dr. Theodore Moore, Director of the Center for Great Lakes & Aquatic Science, University of Michigan, will welcome the Council and provide opening remarks.
Accept Minutes of January 1997 Meeting.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
DEep Submergence Science Committee - Mike Perfit, Chair, will report on the ATLANTIS/ALVIN/ROV operations and schedule. He will provide a review of plans for the upcoming DESSC meeting.
Fleet Improvement Committee - Chris Mooers, Chair, will report on plans for the upcoming FIC meeting.
Research Vessel Operators' Committee - Paul Ljunggren, Chair, will report on plans for the RVOC's 1997 Annual Meeting. He will also provide a report on the Great Lakes Research Vessel Coordination Workshop held on March 11-12, 1997.
Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee - John Freitag, Chair, will summarize the plans for the 1997 RVTEC Annual Meeting.
Ship Scheduling Committee - Don Moller, Chair, will provide an overview of the preliminary 1998 ship schedules and the recommendations from the Ship Scheduling Review meeting held on 17 June.
Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee - Jim Swift, Chair, will report on the activities of the AICC and highlights of their spring meeting. He will provide the status of science modifications for HEALY.
AGENCY and OTHER REPORTS: Reports from agency representatives on funding outlooks, facility updates, and special projects:
UNOLS/NAVO Partnership - CDR Trees will provide an overview of the 1997 NAVO field programs on UNOLS ships to date. He will review any issues, lessons learned, clearance requirements etc. Ken Johnson will discuss the potential of future NAVO work on UNOLS ships.
NOAA/UNOLS Cooperation - Ken Johnson will review the status of the NOAA-OAR/UNOLS Memorandum of Understanding. The draft MOU is included as Attachment 1.
NOAA Fishery Needs - NOAA has drafted a paper outlining the history and future requirements of the agency's Fisheries Research Vessels, see Attachment 2. Jim Meehan, NMFS, will comment on NOAA's Fishery Needs. Ken Johnson will open a discussion on the role UNOLS might play in helping NOAA fulfill their fisheries facility requirements.
Science Mission Requirements for Central Pacific - Sujata Millick will provide the status on the Navy's plan for construction of a replacement vessel for MOANA WAVE.
Reassessing the Status of a UNOLS Research Vessel - Don Heinrichs will present NSF's views/policies on small research vessels. Bob Wall will provide an update on his subcommittee's activities. See Ken Johnson letter dated May 27, 1997 to Don Heinrichs, Attachment 3.
Scheduling Ad-hoc Review Group - Don Moller and Jack Bash will report on the status of implementing the recommended improvements to the UNOLS ship scheduling process.
UNOLS Ship Day Rates - NSF has expressed concern over the variance in day rates among the UNOLS ships of similar size. Don Heinrichs will review these concerns and open the topic for discussion.
AGOR Z-drive Thruster Status - Bob Knox and Dick Pittenger will review the latest status of any AGOR z-drive issues. Material reviewing the history of some of the problems is provided as Attachment A.
SeaNet Update - John Freitag will provide an update on the SeaNet Consortium and their planned activities.
White Paper on Crewing Requirements - Jack Bash will provide the status of the contract to The Glosten Associates for their efforts to address the impact of Coast Guard Regulations regarding crew size requirements.
SEA CLIFF Retirement - Mike Perfit will review the DESSC Working Group recommendations regarding future uses of the Navy vehicle, SEA CLIFF.
Ship Inspection Program - Jack Bash will provide the status of the UNOLS Ship Inspection program.
Interim Fleet Improvement Plan (IFIP) - Chris Mooers will present the revised Interim Fleet Improvement Plan for Council Adoption, see Attachment B.
SECOR Update - Chris Mooers will provide a summary of recent developments in Marine Operations at RSMAS, Joint Operations with HBOI, and SECOR, see Attachment C.
Post Cruise Assessments -Jack Bash will provide an update on the use of the electronic Post Cruise Assessment report.
DoC's Fishing Vessel Buy Out Program - Jack Bash will give an update on the program.
UNOLS Brochure - Should the UNOLS Brochure, The Research Fleet, be updated? With the addition and removal of ships from the UNOLS Fleet, the UNOLS Brochure is becoming outdated. Additionally, the UNOLS Office holds only 600 copies in stock.
BLUE FIN Replacement - Update on plans for replacement.
Application for UNOLS Membership - The Council will consider the membership application of Southern California Marine Institute (Occidental College is willing to relinquish their UNOLS membership to Southern California Marine Institute). Their application is included as Attachment 4.
Request for ATLANTIS to become a UNOLS Vessel - The Council will take action on the WHOI request to make ATLANTIS a UNOLS Vessel, see Attachment 5.
UNOLS Council Membership - Ken Johnson has appointed a Nominating Committee to be chaired by Dennis Hayes to prepare a slate for replacement of those Council members completing terms. The terms of Dennis Hayes, Bob Knox, and Cindy Lee are expiring. Knox and Lee can be nominated for second terms, see Attachment 6.
UNOLS Annual Meeting - The Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, 18 September. Suggestions for agenda items and Keynote Speakers will be discussed.
Calendar for UNOLS Meetings:
| MEETING | LOCATION | DATES |
| Ship Scheduling Committee | Arlington, VA | 15 September 1997 |
| Scheduling Review | Arlington, VA | 16 September 1997 |
| UNOLS Council | Arlington, VA | 17 September 1997 |
| UNOLS Annual | Arlington, VA | 18 September 1997 |
| RVOC | Woods Hole, MA | 21-23 October 1997 |
| RVTEC | Seattle, WA | 27-29 October 1997 |
| FIC | TBD | Fall, 1997 |
| DESSC | San Francisco, CA | 7 December 1997 |
| AICC | New Orleans, LA | Jan/Feb 1998 |
Adjournment
NAME |
INSTITUTION/ |
PHONE |
FAX |
| Bash, Jack | UNOLS | 401-874-6825 | 401-874-6167 |
| Cocke, Tom | Dept of State | 202-647-0240 | 202-647-1106 |
| Coe, Jim | NOAA/NMFS | 206-526-4000 | 206-526-4004 |
| Dennis, Patrick | USN/CORE | 703-696-2161 | 703-696-2007 |
| DeSilva, Annette | UNOLS | 401-874-6825 | 401-874-6167 |
| Freitag, John | URI | 401-874-6579 | 401-874-6578 |
| Goad, Linda | U of MI | 313-763-5393 | 313-647-2748 |
| Hansell, Dennis | BBSR | 441-297-1880 x210 | 441-297-8143 |
| Hayes, Dennis | LDEO | 914-365-8470 | 914-365-8156 |
| Heinrichs, Donald | NSF | 703-306-1576 | 703-306-0390 |
| Johnson, Ken | MLML | 408-755-8657 | 408-753-2826 |
| Knox, Bob | SIO/UCSD | 619-534-4729 | 619-535-1817 |
| Lee, Cindy | SUNY/Stonybrook | 516-632-8471 | 516-632-8820 |
| Ljunggren, Paul | LDEO | 914-365-8845 | 914-359-6817 |
| Meehan, Jim | NOAA/NMFS | 301-713-2363 | 301-713-1875 |
| Moller, Don | WHOI | 508-287-2277 | 508-457-2185 |
| Mooers, Chris | RSMAS | 305-361-4825 | 305-361-4797 |
| Moore, Ted | U of MI | 313-763-3515 | 313-647-2748 |
| Perfit, Mike | Univ. Florida | 352-392-2128 | 352-392-9294 |
| Pittenger, Dick | WHOI | 508-289-2597 | 508-457-2185 |
| Rooth, CDR Rick | USCG | 906-635-3210 | |
| Royer, Tom | ODU | 757-683-5547 | 757-683-5550 |
| Schwartz, Capt. Daniel | CORE | 202-232-3900 x222 | 202-986-5072 |
| Swift, Jim | UCSD/SIO | 619-534-3387 | 619-534-7383 |
| Trees, CDR Jim | NAVO | 601-688-4370 | 601-688-5514 |
| Wall, Bob | U of ME | 207-581-1435 | 207-581-1426 |
| White, CDR Beth | NOAA/OAR | 301-713-2465 x184 | 301-713-0163 |
From jswift@ucsd.edu Mon Jul 7 08:18:02 1997
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 1997 11:34:43 -0800
From: "James H. Swift" <jswift@ucsd.edu>
To: unols@gsosun1.gso.uri.edu, aicc@diu.cms.udel.edu,
aiccplus@diu.cms.udel.edu
Subject: AICC Report to UNOLS Council
Dear Annette:
Attached are my notes from my presentation at the UNOLS Council Meeting. Please feel free to alter them as needed. I have copied these to the AICC and AICCPLUS lists in case any members or correspondents wish to modify or add to this report.
I will be away until 17 July.
Regards,
Jim Swift
The UNOLS Arctic Icebreaker Coordinating Committee (AICC) continues to move toward scheduling of USCG Arctic science missions in the UNOLS framework. The AICC has recommended that the Coast Guard take advantage of the on-line system, tracking, and other functions provided by the UNOLS Office. The Coast Guard icebreakers are now on the UNOLS on-line ship-time request site. The AICC expects continued incorporation into the UNOLS scheduling, notification, and tracking system. In practical terms there will be only limited opportunities for scheduled USCG Arctic science missions (i.e. other than ship-of-opportunity) until January 2000 when USCGC HEALY becomes available.
The dominant mode of operation now for USCG Arctic science support is via ship-of-opportunity (SOO) cruises. These receive no agency cost recovery because they are primarily tests of the vessel(s) and training missions for the USCG. An AICC responsibility is coordination of these SOO cruises.
The AICC functions for the 1997 (first) SOO program went well - all requests were feasible one way or another - but the cruise was canceled. (The AICC has not yet determined what priority should be given to 1997 groups for future years.) There were a number of questions and concerns from the community regarding the AICC's role in the SOO cruise planning. These were largely anticipated by the AICC. The AICC has reformulated to SOO guidelines for 1998 and these should be issued soon (hopefully by end of July 1997).
The AICC notes that SOO exploits a grey area in science support, and this will inevitably lead to problems. Namely, such cruises are fiscally advantageous to agencies, and so might be seen by some program managers as a preferred means of cruise support, but SOO cruises carry considerable risks - in fact there is no USCG commitment on SOO cruises to science support - and when these risks materialize, this may lead to disappointment on the part of agencies and investigators and image problems for the USCG. The AICC notes that dedicated science missions put the responsibility for ship support squarely upon the USCG, and so they better utilize USCG support and test USCG commitment to science missions.
The availability of USCGC HEALY brings no new dedicated ship/science funds from the agency side. The AICC hopes that via publicity and UNOLS ship scheduling that use of USCGC HEALY develops the number and type of excellent proposals envisioned by planners. The availability today of the HEALY on the UNOLS on-line request system is one step in developing that list of proposals.
The AICC has continued to build liaisons. John Freitag of RVTEC is participating in AICC business and the Coast Guard's science officer, Phil McGillivary, is attending RVTECH functions. The AICC and the Antarctic Research Vessel Oversight Committee (ARVOC) are exchanging attendance at meetings. And the AICC email list continues to expand.
One issue of concern to the AICC - scientific clearance in foreign EEZs - has been mostly laid to rest, but the final step of having the Coast Guard play the same role as a UNOLS operator remains somewhat unclear. [Note added: At the UNOLS Council meeting, however, Rick Rooth said that the Coast Guard will adopt those procedures.] AICC questions regarding HEALY's status under Canadian regulations appear to be resolved satisfactorily.
With respect to HEALY construction, Captain Johnson reported almost all good news at the AICC meeting. Even the six-month delivery delay was positive because in exchange for this the yard agreed to complete most of the "top 10" science-related modifications requested by the AICC. (The AICC is very pleased and appreciative!) The hull may be complete at this time. Delivery is set for December 1998 with most of 1999 as shakedown and testing. The AICC plans to tour the vessel shortly after launch in late 1997. John Boaz, a senior technician at SIO, is contracted by the USCG (through NSF) for consulting on science systems.
The AICC has recommended that there be no SOO on USCGC HEALY in 1999. Instead, we ask the USCG to concentrate on tests and training. We hope to locate science groups who can use the test to their advantage, but under control of the USCG and test team. The AICC is now working to help design science system tests during HEALY ice trials. The AICC regards it as very important that procedures be worked out to provide "corporate memory" for science systems support rather than to re-train for each mission.
The next scheduled meeting of the AICC will be in New Orleans, probably in
January 1998.
UNOLS FLEET CHARGE DAYS
(By Agency & Year)
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |
| NSF Days | 3249 | 2738 | 3038 | 2639 |
| % | 66.6 | 63.5 | 58.5 | 57.1 |
| ONR Days | 403 | 454 | 524 | 316 |
| % | 8.3 | 10.5 | 10.1 | 6.8 |
| NOAA Days | 354 | 145 | 338 | 487 |
| % | 7.3 | 3.4 | 6.5 | 10.8 |
| NAVO Days | 0 | 0 | 398 | 497 |
| % | 0 | 0 | 7.7 | 10.8 |
| OTHER Days | 872 | 978 | 893 | 682 |
| % | 17.9 | 22.6 | 17.2 | 14.8 |
| TOTAL Days | 4877 | 4315 | 5191 | 4619 |
6/20/97 - DAM
Charge/Operating Days
(1995 1996 1997 1998)
| 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | |
| A-11 / Atlantis | 31 9 | 93* | 138 | 300 |
| Ewing | 31 0 | 315 | 278 | 209* |
| Knorr | 350 | 279 | 293 | 244 |
| Melville | 29 7 | 29 7 | 288 | 312 |
| Revelle | 8 0* | 289 | 312 | |
| Thompson | 333 | 246 | 261 | 32 4 |
| Edwin Link | 175 | 186 | 212 | 138 |
| Endeavor | 228 | 147 | 191 | 201* |
| Gyre | 122 | 219 | 148 | 18 |
| Moana Wave | 195 | 144 | 216 | 181 |
| New Horizon | 240 | 174* | 280 | 217 |
| Oceanus | 187 | 168 | 205 | 201* |
| Seward Johnson | 271 | 304 | 284 | 205 |
| Wecoma | 145 | 198 | 190 | 193 |
| Alpha Helix | 144 | 73 | 161 | 171 |
| Cape Hatteras | 175 | 0 | 237 | 264 |
| Cape Henlopen | 198 | 185 | 203 | 177 |
| Longhorn | 72 | 130 | 82 | 100 |
| Pelican | 182 | 201 | 205 | 183 |
| Pt. Sur | 164 | 118* | 197 | 203 |
| Sea Diver | 180 | 132 | 89* | 22* |
| Sproul | 145 | 155 | 205 | 100 |
| Weatherbird | 154 | 167 | 150 | 154 |
| Barnes | 77 | 86 | 133 | 108 |
| Bluefin | 75 | 96 | 105 | 121 |
| Calanus | 48 | 50 | 107 | 214 |
| Laurentian | 91 | 72 | 44 | 57 |
| Urraca | 0 | 0 | 0 | 173 |
| Days | 4877 | 4315 | 5191 | 4619 |
*Overhaul or partial service
**Endeavor/Oceanus 100% double booked. One ship to lay-up.
Note: Based on data available on 19 June 97
1. 6 ships have Z-drive propulsion, powered by electric motors: Knorr, Melville, Thompson, Revelle, Atlantis, Brown. All Z-drives are Lips units. In addition several (5?) Navy TAGS ships have similar Lips ~Z-drive systems.
2. Significant differences:
| Knorr/Melville | AGOR 23,4,5,6 |
| 1500 hp motors | 3000 hp motors |
| 1350 hp thrusters | 4000 hp thrusters |
| port/starboard same | port/stbd different |
| shrouded props | open props |
It is thus possible in principle to overtorque thrusters in Knorr/Melville, not AGORS. Controls limit the motors to prevent this. INSURV procedures to prevent overtorque while still accomplishing required quick reversal demonstrations are being worked out.
3. Melville: Broken gear tooth casualty on starboard lower unit in 1993, almost certainly bad metallurgy (insufficient case hardening depth, and some plain bad metal). Since then, lower gears have been inspected during casualty repair, and twice since, most recently this year in Melbourne. Tooth contact patterns are good. Dye penetrant tests reveal no cracks. No adverse indications from oil analysis or vibration data.
4. Knorr: Spalled tooth on port lower unit found in March 1997 drydock. No prior noise or other obvious indications of failure or impending failure. Replacement gear due to be installed at Halifax in July. Broken gear will be analyzed by Diehl as was done for Melville gear in 1993.
5. For Knorr/Melville there is thus far no indication of any upper gear problems, and one of the two lower gear casualties has a very probable, fixable cause. Should the tests of the broken Knorr gear indicate bad metallurgy, it would be crucial to obtain a full set of spare lower gears, since there is no demonstrable manufacturing difference between the gears that have broken and the original gears that still survive. Since all 4 units (2 per ship) are identical, one complete lower gear set is the prudent spares inventory. If the cause of the recent Knorr failure is not bad metallurgy, a spare set might still be valuable; should discuss then.
For Knorr/Melville there is no clear evidence of any groundings or collisions with objects that could have shocked the gears. The propeller shrouds may afford some protection in this regard.
6. Thompson: Two lower gears failed in 1994; replacements were made with gears originally intended for Revelle. Metallurgy was the prime suspect, although insufficient tooth contact was pointed to by some (Diehl). Lips produced credible evidence at that time that the gears could have been overstressed by grounding the ship while HMI was moving it.
1996 drydock in Dubai to fix thruster oil leak also disclosed sheared heads on half the bolts fastening the port thruster to the foundation. Again, HMI grounding is a possible cause.
Recent Thompson failure is to the upper gears; this is the first upper gear problem in any of the ships. Torques on the upper gears are intrinsically much less than on lower gears. This raises the question of observation, alignment testing, etc. for upper units generally, heretofore thought not to be as critical a matter as on lower gears. Clearly, the broken gears should be thoroughly examined for possible bad metallurgy, etc. There is anecdotal evidence (Diehl comment to Althouse), but not hard data, to suggest that the upper gear tooth contacts may not have been optimum. This possibility should be investigated.
Neither upper nor lower gears on Thompson had been load-tested for tooth contact prior to their failures.
7. Revelle: In the wake of the Thompson lower unit failure in 1994 and the redirection of ~Revelle gears to Thompson, SIO successfully pressed NAVSEA to test lower gear tooth contact under load for AGOR 24 units. These tests showed good contact. Inspection of the lower units in the shipyard this week shows good conditions and good tooth contacts in both units. Upper gear tooth contact under load has not heretofore been tested, because the loads (torques) were presumed to be small, but depending on results of the Thompson upper gear failure analysis, this view could change.
Revelle probably contacted ground while still at HMI, but rather gently. There is no evidence of a severe grounding/collision that may have shocked the gears, and the inspections of last week lend credibility to the notion that the HMI groundings, while deplorable as shipbuilding practice, have not yet led to a major adverse effect on this particular ship.
8. Atlantis: Initial lower gear installation was tested under load, similar to Revelle. No subsequent issues arising. It is worth noting that Atlantis was grounded by HMI at New Orleans sufficiently to overload the SCR drives.
9. Brown: no experience; too new.
10. Future course of action:
a. Continue regular oil and vibration checks
b. Continue regular inspections of lower units, to establish tooth contact patterns
under load. Budget/plan/schedule for gear replacement at end of expected life,
with good margin of safety.
c. Consider more extensive inspections/tests of upper units in future, depending
on results of investigation into recent Thompson failure.
d. Pursue study (Glosten, subcontract to SIO, funded by NAVSEA via ONR) to do
a review of problems to date, operation/inspection protocols, etc., consider
any resultant recommendations.
e. If Knorr failure proves traceable to bad metallurgy in whole or in part,
procure spare lower set, and possibly do this procurement in any event
f AGOR 23/4/5/6 spare lower sets are funded, and in shipment to SIO as custodian,
for all ships.
g. It is probably too early to consider upper gear spares (no Knorr/Melville
failures, one AGOR failure with cause still unknown); revisit later after study
(d) is complete.
h. Keep careful records of any groundings or collisions that could impact thrusters.
i. Premature to move toward more drastic remedies (whole drive system changes,
etc.)
Dear Jack:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the operating institution of R/V
Atlantis
(AGOR 25), formally requests that UNOLS designate this ship as a UNOLS vessel,
operated by WHOI. Conditions for such designation are given in the UNOLS document
"Guidelines for Requesting/Becoming UNOLS vessel", part 6. In answer to those
conditions, the following information is provided:
6a WHOI intends to operate the vessel for research purposes, as evidenced by
the 1991
proposal to the Office of Naval Research which resulted in competitive selection
of WHOI
as the operating institution. If needed, a copy of this document can be provided.
6b. The continuing record of WHOI in successfully operating other UNOLS vessels
from
the inception of UNOLS to the present satisfies this requirement.
6c. WHOI routinely submits NSF ship operations proposals in the standard format,
including projection of user charges, and has already incorporated R/V Atlantis
day rates
into its NSF proposal for CY 1997.
6d. The vessel successfully completed Navy INSURV acceptance trials in November
1996. Residual deficiencies are being corrected. None of them compromise the
capability
of the ship to carry out broad-spectrum oceanographic research planned for June
1997,
and the conclusion of INSURV was that the Navy should accept the ship from the
shipbuilder in February 1997. INSURV inspection of Final Contract Trials will
be
scheduled by ONR.
6e. The ship has been designed and equipped to all applicable UNOLS and other
safety
standards, and will be so operated.
6f The vessel will be available to all federally-funded users, as are existing
WHOI-
operated UNOLS vessels.
6g. The vessel will be maintained at a high standard of readiness and scient~ific
support
capability, as are existing WHOI-operated UNOLS vessels.
6h. WHOI has always participated fully in the UNOLS scheduling process since
inception
of UNOLS, and will continue to do so, including receipt and acknowledgment of
requests
for use, and close cooperation with the UNOLS Office on scheduling issues.
6i. WHOI already submits such reports in accordance with UNOLS practice for
existing
vessels, and R/VAllantis will be included in this reporting.
6j. WHOI already adheres to UNOLS cost accounting and performance standards
for
existing WHOI-operated UNOLS vessels, and will treat R/V Atlantis similarly.
6k. WHOI has requested funds for 1997 operation of the vessel and will continue
to submit proposals in accordance with NSF and ONR guidelines.
61. This letter constitutes the required written application.
If any further information is required, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Ellen also voiced her intention of an advisory panel with representatives from UNOLS, NavOceano, ONR, NSF and NOAA to deal with these issues.
UNOLS COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP CHANGES:
Terms Expiring:
Member |
Position |
Term Length |
Status |
| Dennis Hayes | Operator Representative | 3-years | Ineligible for Re-election |
| Robert Knox | At-large Representative | 3-years | Eligible for Re-election |
| Cindy Lee | Non-Operator Representative | 3-years | Eligible for Re-election |
NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
The UNOLS Chair will appoint and announce the Nominating Committee. The committee will consist of three members, two from operator institutions and one from an institution other than an operator.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE DUTIES:
The Nominating Committee will issue a call for nominations enumerating the positions to be filled and summarizing the qualifications required for each position. Nominations for the slate may be submitted by anyone affiliated with a UNOLS institution, in writing, to the UNOLS Office or the Nominating Committee. In forming the slate, the Nominating Committee shall give due consideration to the qualifications required for each position as well as for maintaining appropriate balance among institutions from different regions having different facilities. Individuals should be chosen to achieve a balance among scientific user disciplines. Nominations of additional candidates may also be made form the floor during the meetings. Such nominations may be made only by designated representatives of UNOLS institutions, and must be accompanied by the nominee's concurrence and qualifications.
A slate of candidates will be prepared for distribution at least 30 days in advance of elections consisting of at least two candidates for each position being considered.
