NOAA Ship McArthur underway. Click image for larger view.
NOAA Ship McArthur
The NOAA Ship McARTHUR was decommissioned on May 20, 2003, and is no longer in service.
At 175 ft in length, and displacing more than 1,000 tons, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ship McArthur is one of a fleet of vessels that conducts a range of oceanographic research and assessments. With its home port at the Pacific Marine Center on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington, most of the McArthur’s work is carried out in several national marine sanctuaries off the U.S. West Coast. The McArthur is named for William Pope McArthur, a 19th century naval officer who served in the Coast Survey for many years and became the pioneer hydrographer on the West Coast.
Commissioned in December 1966, the McArthur has an endurance of 30 days at sea, and a range of 6,600 nautical miles with a cruising speed of 10 knots. The McArthur carries a complement of three officers, 19 crew members and up to 13 scientists. The scientists who carry out research aboard the McArthur come from many divisions of NOAA, other federal and state government agencies, and from academia.
McArthur crew members haul in and inspect a set of bongo nets. These are one of the many tools scientists use to determine the type and concentration of plankton in the ocean. Click image for larger view.
Science and Research Support
The McArthur is equipped with an electronics shop, a machine shop, and a bosun's shop. Each shop can repair, and, on occasion, modify scientific sampling equipment at sea. This enables the crew to adapt specialized equipment and fabricate damaged parts to ensure that projects are completed. The McArthur also has an oceanography lab, an instrument lab, and a plot-room lab where scientists can set up experimental devices to analyze data, and refrigerate samples collected while the ship is under way. Aboard the vessel, scientists make detailed observations of marine mammal and bird activities, as well as conduct a wide range of operations, including assessments of conductivity and temperature at depth (CTD), observations of water clarity, acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) transects, sound velocity profiling, launch weather balloons, acoustic surveys, scuba diving, and plankton tows using several types of nets.
Integrated Computer Network
The McArthur also supports a suite of sensors for meteorological and oceanographic data acquisition to supplement scientific research. This sensor suite is supported by two high-powered server computers. A well developed computer network integrates nearly all of the shipboard computers, including several servers and workstations, along with other specialized computer platforms. The shipboard network and computer systems are also vital assets. The up-to-date shipboard computers and software are used for everything from sensor acquisition and data analysis to administration and payroll. Intranet services support many network applications. The McArthur is also outfitted with a range of electronic systems for communications and navigation. Data can be transmitted via VHF radio, cell phone, or a satellite system known as INMARSAT. Gyro compasses and a global positioning system (GPS) are advanced navigational equipment used to augment traditional radar and paper charts for determining the ship’s position.
At the bridge, the crew concentrates on navigating the McArthur. The crew depends on many sophisticated electronic systems for navigation and communication. Click image for larger view.
Four cranes, two A-frames, and three winches are mounted on the deck to facilitate the movement of scientific equipment, smaller boats and submersibles from the water to the ship deck to the dock. The ship also carries three rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB). These can be used for a wide range of activities, including personnel and cargo transfer, rescue operations, diving, and various types of sampling.
Click here for more information about the NOAA Ship McArthur, including current research projects and the ship’s specifications.
