Ship Specifications
Length (LOA): 274 ft.
Breadth: 52.5 ft.
Draft: 17 ft.
Displacement: 3,250 tons
Cruising Speed: 12 knots
Range: 11,300 nm
Endurance: 60 days
Hull Number: R104
Call Letters: WTEC
Commissioned Officers: 5
Licensed Engineers: 4
Crew: 16
Scientists: 34 (Max)
Launched: May 30, 1996
Delivered: April 18, 1997
Commissioned: July 19, 1997
Builder: Halter Marine, Moss Point, Mississippi
Designer: Halter Marine
NOAA Ship RONALD H. BROWN, home-ported in Charleston, South Carolina, was commissioned into the NOAA fleet in 1997. As one of the world's most technologically advanced oceanographic research vessels, RONALD H. BROWN is equipped to support a wide range of programs - including physical, chemical and biological oceanography; atmospheric and climate research; marine acoustics; marine geology and geophysics; bathymetry; and a host of multidisciplinary environmental investigations in coastal and deep ocean regions. Although primarily deployed in support of NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, the ship also supports a wide range of academic research institutions.
RONALD H. BROWN's Doppler radar-one of the few ship-supported systems of its kind in the world, and the only one in the U.S. research fleet-provides scientists with a valuable tool for studying the formation and composition of complex weather systems at sea. Five primary laboratories provide nearly 4,000 square feet of dedicated mission space, with additional space on deck to support up to nine laboratory vans. The ship is equipped with a suite of scientific sensors, including a multibeam mapping system, sub-bottom profiler, acoustic Doppler current profiler, and acoustic positioning system. RONALD H. BROWN'S maneuvering capabilities are provided by a dynamic positioning system, enhancing the ship's station-keeping abilities. This automated control of the stern and bow thrusters enables the vessel to hold station within a 300-ft. radius in seas up to 11 feet, a wind speed of 27 knots and a two-knot current. This capability is critical when deploying and recovering deep-sea moorings, supporting remotely operated vehicles and deploying overthe- side sensors.
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
As part of the NOAA fleet of research ships and aircraft, RONALD H. BROWN is commanded and managed by officers of the NOAA Corps. The NOAA Corps is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. It is composed of commissioned officers who provide NOAA with an important blend of operational, management, and technical skills that support the agency's science and surveying programs at sea, in the air, and ashore. NOAA Corps officers are scientists and engineers, and help scientists implement their research on board NOAA platforms. In addition to managing and operating ships and aircraft, Corps officers apply their knowledge of platform capabilties to shore assignments. They serve in NOAA's research laboratories and program offices throughout the Nation and in remote locations around the world; for example, an officer serves as station chief at the South Pole, Antarctica.
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the Department of Commerce and a sponsor and partner in the 2004 "Return to Titanic" expedition. As the nation's ocean agency, NOAA has an interest in the scientific and cultural aspects of Titanic as per The R.M.S. Titanic Memorial Act passed by Congress in 1986. Under the act, NOAA developed the "Guidelines for Research, Exploration and Salvage of R.M.S. Titanic." In 2003, NOAA sponsored a research cruise to observe and document the condition of the wreck and to study the effect of microbial communities on Titanic's iron. The 2004 mission will help expand a baseline of scientific data from which Titanic's rate of deterioration may be measured. Studying Titanic also provides a better understanding of the condition and deterioration of other shipwrecks and submerged cultural resources.
NOAA's Mission
NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration (OE) program was created to investigate the oceans for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of knowledge. The program infuses teams of multidisciplinary scientist explorers with a spirit of discovery and equips them with the latest exploration tools-some pioneered specifically to support OE missions. These new exploration tools are taking researchers to some of the deepest and least explored regions of the oceans from where important new understandings are evolving. Its mission fits into four distinct areas:
- Mapping the physical, biological, chemical and archaeological aspects of the ocean
- Understanding ocean dynamics at new levels to describe the complex interactions of the living ocean
- Developing new sensors and systems to regain U.S. leadership in ocean technology
- Reaching out to the public to communicate how and why unlocking the secrets of the ocean is well worth the commitment of time and resources, and to benefit current and future generations.
OE conducts and supports exploratory activities in the ocean and shares these experiences with the public by dedicating 10 percent of its annual budget to various outreach and education activities. Of most interest to the public is the use of outreach technologies and a commitment to share these 21st century explorations with millions of interested people. By tapping into OE's website and other outreach initiatives, Americans can become "citizen explorers" and connect deeply with an instinctive fascination for the oceans.
Explore with NOAA at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.
