Just over a year ago construction of Australia's Marine National Facility research vessel Investigator began with flat sheets of steel, and now the blue-water research vessel looks amazing.

As much as possible, Investigator must be all things to all Australian marine scientists, as Australia has only one blue-water research vessel and this diverse and complex approach to marine and atmospheric science is unique to ocean research globally.

The 93.9 metre Investigator has room onboard for up to 40 scientists, who can stay at sea for up to 60 days and cover up to 10,000 nautical miles in a single voyage and will replace the Marine National Facility's current vessel, Southern Surveyor, later this year when it's delivered to Hobart.
The contract to design, build and commission the vessel was awarded to Teekay Holdings Australia, which partnered with Sembawang Shipyard Pte Ltd in Singapore because of its track record and strong commitment to new technologies and innovation.

Investigator's capabilities will allow for the rapid advancement of ocean dynamics and air-sea interactions and their implications for weather and climate, and scientists will be able to accurately describe marine ecosystems and enable more effective management of biodiversity and fisheries.
The vessel's design will feature a core backbone of permanently fitted systems for sampling, data acquisition, management, and communication including winches, acoustic mapping and environmental monitoring instruments.

Sea time onboard Australia's Marine National Facility research vessel is available to all Australian scientists. The National Facility is operated by CSIRO on behalf of the nation.

In 2009 the Australian Government committed AU$120 million to the purchase of a new research vessel for the Marine National Facility. The project is an initiative of the Australian Government being conducted as part of the Super Science Initiative and financed from the Education Investment Fund.

Video transcript available here: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть