University of Rhode Island will name its new Regional Class research vessel ‘Resolution’, following an approval from the National Science Foundation.
“The name selected for the new research vessel is fitting as it honors both the history and future of ocean exploration,” said URI president David M. Dooley. “The R/V Resolution will continue URI’s half-century of leadership in oceanographic research, and help scientists address some of the world’s most pressing environmental questions.”
In July, NSF selected the East Coast Oceanographic Consortium, led by the University of Rhode Island, to operate the new $125 million oceanographic research ship.
The URI-led consortium includes the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of New Hampshire School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering — along with 13 associate members.
The R/V Resolution will support scientific studies such as the tracking of ocean currents and fish migration, seafloor surveys in earthquake-prone regions of the world, conservation of marine mammals and the food-web dynamics in the deep ocean.
In addition, the ship will offer education and outreach opportunities for teachers, undergraduate and graduate students and the public.
The keel laying for the R/V Resolution will be held at Gulf Island Shipyards in Louisiana on May 07, 2019, where Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo will serve as ceremonial sponsor of the vessel and inscribe her initials into the ship’s keel. Raimondo will christen the vessel in 2021 when it is launched.