Other Government-Funded Research Ships

Most recent update: September 14, 2015.
This table attempts to list all the research ships currently or recently operated by or for the NSF, the EPA and the USGS, and by universities and institutions involved in the UNOLS system.  There are many gaps and uncertain areas in this table, especially in the last section: if anyone has any corrections or additions, please send your info to me at timcolton@aol.com 
Name Builder Hull # GT Ft. Del'd. Disposition
National Science Foundation (NSF) - established 1950
Aras II Bath Iron Works 139 1,820 224 1930 Acquired 1962 as Anton Brunn, sold 1968, scrapped 1993
Alpha Helix Martinac SB 145 289 117 Feb-66 Op. by U. of Alaska Fairbanks, sold 2007, active (Mexico)
Cayuse Albina Machine 404 165 79 1968 Op. by Oregon State U., retired
Goldenrod (WAGL 213) Dubuque Boat 170 104 Jun-38 Acquired 1973
Poplar (WAGL 214) Dubuque Boat 170 104 Feb-39 Acquired 1973
Oceanus Peterson Builders 9250-1 289 177 Nov-75 Op. by Woods Hole Institution, op. by Oregon State U. 2012, active
Wecoma Peterson Builders 9250-2 289 177 Nov-75 Op. by Oregon State U., scrapped 2012
Endeavor Peterson Builders 9345 289 185 Oct-76 Op. by U. of Rhode Island, active
Cape Hatteras Atlantic Marine 185 296 122 May-81 Op. by Duke U., sold to Cape Fear Comm. Coll. 2013, active
Point Sur Atlantic Marine 186 296 122 Jul-81 Op. by San Jose State U., sold to U. of Southern Mississippi 2015, active
Bitt (WYTL 65613) Western Boat 80 65 May-66 Acquired 1982 as Clifford A. Barnes, op. by U. of Washington, sold 2019 as Bitt
Bernier Marine Ind. 449 1,976 230 Jul-83 Acquired 1988 as Maurice Ewing, op. by Columbia U., sold 2005 as Nordic Bahari (S'pore)
Nathaniel B. Palmer North American 137 6,174 281 Feb-92 Op. by Edison Chouest Offshore, active
Laurence M. Gould North American 154 2,966 207 Oct-97 Op. by Edison Chouest Offshore, active
Western Legend Ulstein Werft 3,834 235 1991 Acquired 2004 as Marcus G. Langseth, op. by Columbia U., active
Sikuliaq Marinette Marine 650 3,334 261 Jul-14 Op. by U. of Alaska Fairbanks, active
 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - established 1970
Maple (WAGL 234) Marine Iron 342 Jun-39 Acquired 1974 as Roger R. Simons, sold 1995
Antelope (PGM 86) Tacoma Boat 250 164 Nov-67 Acquired 1977 as Peter W. Anderson, scrapped 2010
Crockett (PGM 88) Tacoma Boat 250 164 Jun-68 Acquired 1977 as Rachel Carson, scrapped
Marsea XIV Halter Moss Point 1013 283 180 Oct-81 Acquired 1988 as Lake Guardian, active
Bold (AGOS 12) Tacoma Boat 449 1,600 224 Oct-89 Acquired 2005 as Bold, active
Rude (S 590) Jakobson SY 428 220 90 Mar-67 Acquired 2009 as Lake Explorer II, active
 
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - established in its current form 1996
Polaris Wilmington BW   114 91 1927 Built as yacht Pasada Manana, acquired 1966, active
Muskie Hansen Welding 71 65 1960 Retired 2011
Kaho Hansen Welding 72 65 1961 Retired 2011
State Point American Marine 922 474 142 Dec-65 Acquired 19-- as J. W. Powell, sold 2000
  Bender SB 75 1977 Acquired 19-- as Grayling, to be retired 2015
Kiyi Patti Shipyard 157 290 Oct-99 Active
Sturgeon Basic Marine 117 180 Jul-04 Active
Kaho Great Lakes SY  104  67 71 Aug-11 Active
Muskie Great Lakes SY  105  67 71 Aug-11 Active
Arcticus Burger Boat  103  148 77 2014 Active
 
University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) - established 1971 - listed by size
Melville Defoe Sbldg. 442 2,670 279 Aug-69 Scripps Institution, to the Philippines 2016 as Gregorio Velasquez
Knorr Defoe Sbldg. 443 2,670 279 Jan-70 Woods Hole Institution, to Mexico 2016 as Rio Tecolutla
Thomas G. Thompson Halter Marine 1148 2,100 274 Jul-91 U. of Washington
Roger Revelle Halter Marine 1358 2,100 274 Jun-96 Scripps Institution
Atlantis Halter Marine 1416 2,100 274 Feb-98 Woods Hole Institution
Sikuliaq Marinette Marine 650 3,334 261 Jul-14 U. of Alaska Fairbanks
Neil Armstrong Dakota Creek  58 3,204 238 2015 Woods Hole Institution
Sally Ride Dakota Creek  59 3,204 238 2015 Scripps Institution
Marcus G. Langseth Ulstein Werft 3,834 235 1991 Columbia U.
Kilo Moana Atlantic Marine 244 2,500 186 May-02 U. of Hawaii
Endeavor Peterson Builders 9345 289 185 Oct-76 U. of Rhode Island
Oceanus Peterson Builders 9250-1 289 177 Nov-75 Oregon State U.
New Horizon Atlantic Marine 172 800 170 Dec-78 Scripps Institution
Atlantic Explorer Houma Marine Fab. 73 292 168 Apr-82 Bermuda Inst. for Ocean Sciences
Hugh R. Sharp Dakota Creek 46 252 146 Oct-05 U. of Delaware
Robert Gordon Sproul Steiner Shipyard 116 84 125 Sep-81 Scripps Institution
Pelican Allied Shipyard 160 291 116 1985 Louisiana U. Marine Consortium
F. G. Walton Smith Eastern SB 683 325 96 Feb-00 U. of Miami
Savannah Washburn & Doughty 72 265 92 Sep-01 U. of Georgia
Blue Heron Goudy & Stevens 20 175 86 Dec-85 U. of Minnesota Duluth
Clifford A. Barnes Western Boat 80 66 May-66 U. of Washington
 
Other University Research Vessels
Acadiana Breaux's Bay Craft 1603 51 57 1985 Louisiana U. Marine Consortium
Cape Fear Panhandle Marine 39 77 63 1988 U. of NC Wilmington
Cape Henlopen Swiftships 115 228 110 1976 U. of Delaware
Centennial Fred Wahl Marine 3 65 58 1990 U. of Washington
Chesapeake Gulfstar Inc.   34 53 1974 Hampton U.
Connecticut Washburn & Doughty 61 94 Jun-98 U. of Connecticut
Coral Sea Glenn E. Miller   143 84 1974 Humboldt State U.
Delphinus Morgan Boats   54 53 1982 Florida Inst. of Technology
Elakha Rozema BW 1159 42 54 2000 Oregon State U.
Fay Slover Gladding-Hearn 333 51 55 Oct-02 Old Dominion U.
First State Derecktor NY 3600 63 62 Jun-02 U. of Delaware
Gulf Challenger Gladding-Hearn 288 45 50 Aug-93 U. of New Hampshire
Jack Robertson Howard Moe Ent.   76 57 2008 U. of Washington
John M. Kingsbury Gladding-Hearn 247 34 47 Jun-84 Cornell University
Kittiwake Washburn & Doughty 76 102 Oct-02
Laurentian   129 73 1974 U. of Michigan
Longhorn Allied Shipyard 138 179 94 1971 U. of Texas
Mizner Misener Marine   110   Mar-81 Mississippi State U.
Neeskay Higgins SY   75 68 1953 U. of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Ridgely Warfield Bethlehem Steel 7006 260 1967 Johns Hopkins U.
Seward Johnson Atlantic Marine 197 300 184 Jul-84 Harbor Branch Institution
Tioga Gladding-Hearn 344 53 60 Apr-04 Woods Hole Institute
Seawolf Washburn & Doughty 13 122 80 1982 State U. of New York
Weatherbird II Bosarge Marine 1 194 101 1982 Bermuda Biological Station