Provision of an Academic Vessel to Improve Capacities for Field Research and Training at the Shannon Point Marine Center

该合同支持购买一艘32英尺长的铝制船体、船内动力的研究/指导船，其船舱和A型框架能够拖网、疏浚和处理海洋阵列。这艘新船将取代现有的31英尺长的玻璃钢船，其载客量、货运和起重能力不足以满足香农角海洋中心(SPMC)目前的现场调查和教学活动的需求。现有船只在可部署的挖泥船和其他海洋设备的重量方面受到严重限制。与旧船相比，新船的载客量将增加50%，巡航速度将提高300%，起重能力将提高750%。能力和速度的提高将使该中心的研究和教育项目受益，包括来自当地一些机构的学生和教职员工的实地考察，包括三所社区学院。SPMC主持了一项由NSF赞助的本科生研究项目，在过去的5年里，该项目支持和培训了83名学生。该中心参加了少数族裔海洋科学本科生计划；因此，该中心在2003年获得了总统颁发的杰出科学、数学和工程导师奖。

This award supports purchase of a 32 foot aluminum hulled, inboard powered research/instructional vessel, with cabin and A-frame capable of trawling, dredging, and handling oceanographic arrays. This new vessel will replace an existing 31 foot fiberglass vessel whose passenger, freight and lifting capacities are inadequate to meet the current demands of field investigative and instructional activities at the Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC). The existing vessel is severely handicapped with respect to the weight of dredges and other oceanographic equipment that can be deployed. In contrast to the older vessel, the new vessel will increase passenger capacity by 50%, cruising speed by 300%, and lifting capacity by 750%. The increased capacity and speed will benefit both research and educational programs at the Center, including field trips by students and faculty from a number of local institutions, including three community colleges. The SPMC hosts an NSF sponsored undergraduate research program that has supported and trained 83 students in the past 5 years. SPMC has participated in the Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Program; as a result, the Center received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring in 2003.