Ship Operations CY2005 Through CY2009

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PROJECT SUMMARY The University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS) proposes to operate the R/V Walton Smith in support of NSF funded research in CY 2005. This is a five-year cooperative agreement, and funding for the years 2006-2009 will be renegotiated and will depend on the number of days at sea in support of NSF-funded research programs requiring the use of an Oceanographic platform. The Walton Smith is owned by the University of Miami and is a 96-foot catamaran research vessel. Its prime area of operations is off coastal Florida waters, both in the Atlantic and in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Bahamas. In CY 2005 the ship will support NSF funded researchers for 102 days at sea, out of a 196 day schedule. The primary NSF-funded research projects that will use this ship as their platform are funded from the areas of biological and chemical oceanographyIntellectual and Technical MeritThe Walton Smith is a modern, well equipped research vessel with an experienced and well-trained crew. The research being conducted on the Walton Smith will contribute to the understanding of important issues in its area of operations. The billfish research is the first sustained study of the fish, and it will look at eh source, opportunities, and fate of billfish larvae. A biocomplexity study in the Bahamas will contribute the understanding of a three billion year old ecosystem and its modern analogues. Studies will also be conducted on harmful algal blooms, and population dynamics that contribute to these blooms.Broader impactsShip operations play a vital role at Rosenstiel and results in information and research that contributes significantly to the School's outreach program. The School is committed to improving scientific and environmental literacy among students and adults, both regionally as well as nationwide. Sample programs follow:1 .During the summer months, the school runs several teacher training programs and collaborates with the Miami Museum of Science in a government sponsored education program for students at risk.2. The university has partnered with Royal Caribbean, NOAA, ONR, NASA, and NSF to create a research and education program aboard the Explorer of the Sea. As well as gathering data, the program provides talks on current research topics at Rosenstiel to passengers on the ship.3. Students, both graduate and undergraduate, from RSMAS, the University of South Florida, Florida International University, and the University of Miami Marine Science Programs routinely participate as members of the ship's science party. This provides opportunities for these students to participate in "at sea" oceanography.