Ship Operations- R/V Hugh R. Sharp CY 18-22

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Overview:This proposal / annual report requests funding to support the operation of the Research Vessel Hugh R.Sharp (Sharp) for calendar year 2018 - 2022 on an annual basis.The Sharp is a state-of-the-art, coastal research vessel that is owned and operated by the University ofDelaware. The vessel can carry fourteen scientists on cruises up to eighteen days in duration andsupports projects from all disciplines of oceanography. The vessel is a regional asset, serving researchersfrom many institutions throughout the United States. The vessel typically operates in the coastal watersfrom Long Island, New York, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, as well as the Delaware and ChesapeakeBays. Projects occasionally require the vessel to work as far north as the Gulf of Maine, as far south asFlorida and the Gulf of Mexico, and as far offshore as Bermuda.Operational funding for the SHARP is provided primarily by the National Science Foundation (NSF), theOffice of Naval Research (ONR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), aswell as other scientific users. In 2018, R/V Sharp is anticipating 120 days at sea. Projects funded by theNational Science Foundation account for 25 days (approximately 21%) of the total projected days in2018.Intellectual Merit:The SHARP provides direct field support to NSF and other Agency funded science programs, the meritof these programs being determined by the peer review process within the National Science Foundationor other Agency. The Shapr follows all UNOLS requirements for safety and operations, andparticipates in the NSF Ship Inspection program. The University of Delaware has successfully supportedship operations for NSF for decades, and has an excellent reputation in the Academic ResearchFleet.Broader Impacts:The science projects supported by R/V Sharp will directly improve scientific understanding of the marineenvironment, which leads to improvements to the health and wellbeing of people living in the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. To provide exposure to this important role, the R/V SHARP is an integralpart of the public outreach program at the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. The SHARPoperations are a focal point on the waterfront during the annual "Coast Day', and open house at theCollege which typically draws several thousand people.R/V Sharp is instrumental in supporting NSF and UNOLS Early Career and STEM inititaitives. In2015 the University of Delaware and the Sharp executed an NSF funded Early Career Chief ScientistWorkshop and Science Mission that received excellent reviews from the nine participants. In 2017, theSharp hosted seven STEMSEAS students and two instructors during a seven day transit from a projectin the Gulf of Mexico to the ship's home port in Lewes, DE. The students gained significant experienceof what life at sea for a researcher is like, as well as the operation of oceanographic equipment and dataanalysis.Many cruises on the ship support undergraduate and graduate students composing the scienceparty. R/V Sharp and crew have been available for tours of the ship by high school groups, scienceclasses and middle school groups from the local community as well as from neighboring states.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.