| Country | Representative | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Mr. M.A. Pollentier | MUMMS, Oostende |
| CEC | Dr. M. Weydert | DG XII, Brussels |
| Chile | Mr. E. Aranda | IFOP, Valparaíso |
| Finland | Ms. E. Lahdes | FIMR, Helsinki |
| France | Mr. J.X. Castrec | IFREMER, La Seine sur Mer |
| Mr. P. Rouzaud | IFREMER, La Seine sur Mer | |
| Germany | Dr. D. Strohm | RFG, Bremen |
| Prof.dr. G. Kortum | IM, Kiel | |
| Japan | Mr. H. Hayashi | JAMSTEC, Yokosuka |
| Mr. T. Miyazaki | JAMSTEC, Yokosuka | |
| Mr. S. Tashiro | JAMSTEC, Yokosuka | |
| Mr. M. Zaitsu | NME, Yokosuka | |
| Netherlands | Mr. C.N. van Bergen Henegouw | NIOZ, Texel Secretary |
| Ms. M.J. Rietveld | NIOZ, Texel | |
| OCEANIC | Ms. K. Bouton | Delaware, USA |
| ONR | Dr. A.I. Weinstein | London, UK |
| South-Africa | Mr. P.Goosen | SFRI, Cape Town |
| Spain | Mr. J.I. Diaz | CSIC, Barcelona |
| UK | Dr. B. Hinde | NERC, Swindon |
| Dr. C.W. Fay | NERC-RVS Chairman | |
| Mr. J.W. Ramster | MAFF, Lowestoft | |
| Ms. C. Harper | NERC, Swindon | |
| Mr. J.A. Morrison | SOAFD, Aberdeen | |
| Mr. C. Adams | NERC-RVS | |
| Mr. F. Curry | BAS, London | |
| USA | Ms. E. Dieter | NSF, Washington |
| Dr. D. Heinrichs | NSF, Washington | |
| Prof. D. Nixon | Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston |
Special guest: Mr. Frank Verdon, former secretary
of ISOM
Apologies for absence
| Canada | Dr. J. E. Elliott | BIO, Dartmouth |
| France | Dr. D. Girard | IFREMER, Paris |
| Mr. F. Goutorbe | IFRTP, Plouzane | |
| Germany | Dr. D. Kohnke | BSH, Hamburg |
| Netherlands | Dr. J.H. Stel | GOA, The Hague |
| UN | Mr. D. Daniels | FAO, fisheries division, Italy |
| USA | Cpt. M. R. Mulhern | NOAA, Silver Spring |
| R-Admiral W.L. Stubblefield | NOAA, Silver Spring |
The final draft-agenda was distributed and amended
according to the last comments. Dr. Fay explained the lay-out
of the new building and some administration and safety regulations
within SOC. Dr. Fay reported further on the special ISOM workshops
held during this week and organised by RVS; 1) International Marine
Technicians' Workshop, sponsored by the EC and 2) Workshop on
Autosubs. Preliminary reports on the workshops will be presented
on the second day. The final reports will be attached to this
year's minutes.
Mr. Aranda (Chile) explained that the research vessel
fleet in Chile is formed by three ships; Abate Molina,
Carlos Porter and AGOR Vidal Gormaz. The first two
are operated by the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero and the last
belongs to the Navy (Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service).
The research carried out by this fleet are dedicated to oceanographic
condition monitoring (El Nino phenomenom) and to participating
in international programmes such as WOCE anf JGOFS.
Ms. Lahdes (Finland) reported that no changes in fleet, RV Aranda being the only vessel. However, the activities include extensive unattended monitoring of the Baltic surface waters by several merchant ships where flow-through equipment consisting of thermo- salinograph, fluorimeter and water sampler for nutrient and phytoplankton analyses, are installed. In the beginning of
this year RV Aranda experienced a camshaft
failure when on her way from Cape Town to the Weddell Sea. It
was repaired in Cape Town and the delay of one week was made up.
The final reason for the failure is not yet known. In November
repair work to improve the sound proofing in laboratories will
start. It also will include some work in the engine room. About
1.2 million USD is reserved for this work. Some smaller improvements
are also done according to the wishes of scientists. In near future
the fire exhaustion system in labs and engine room based on halogen
has to be replaced by CO2-system due to the prohibition
of freons. To compensate for RV Aranda during her expedition
in the Southern Ocean a Russian research vessel Victor Buinitsky
was chartered for one months time. Hard ice conditions in the
Baltic last winter limited the choice.
Mr. Castrec (France) presented the Ifremer Research
Fleet changes. The building of the new research vessel Thalassa
continued during 1995 and she was fitted out in the wet dock in
1996. The RV Thalassa has made her first research cruise
"PROSPEC" on 27th June 1996. The first cruise
of our partner IEO will be carried out in March 1997. The modernisation
of the oceanographic vessel Le Suroit is scheduled for
the second semester of 1997. The RV Le Noroit commissioned
in 1971 left the fleet in July 1996. The new owner is the government
of Faeroes.
Dr. Strohm (Germany) reported that there were no
changes in the fleet of research vessels (new, additional vessels
resp. vessels going out of service). However, presently there
are discussions and consultations between the Federal Government,
the Coastal States and the Research Institutes with regard to
a new regime for the medium-sized research vessels. The intention
is to come to a similar organisation for the medium-sized ships
as for the three large research vessels (Meteor, Sonne and
Polarstern) by consolidating cruise planning and usage of
the vessels. At the time being ship time applications for the
three large ships are considered and evaluated nation-wide while
ship time applications for the medium-sized ships compete only
with other programmes of those institutions where the single vessels
are linked to.
Mr. Tahiro (Japan) presented that deep sea RV Kairei.
JAMSTEC's new vessel Kairei was launched on July in 1996
and was delivered on March in 1997 from the shipyard (Kawasaki
Heavy Industrie,LTD.). Kairei is designed to engage in
surveying deep sea bottoms such as trenches by serving as exclusive
mother ship for 10,000m class remotely operated vihicle Kaiko.
Kairei is equipped with varied devices (e.g., multi-channel
seismic profiler capable of exploring complex structures of plate
subduction zones) for studying deep sea bottom surface layers,
faults and other geological morphologies, making it fit for integrated
research in trenches and sea floor areas of the world. and that
Oceanographic Research Vessel Mirai. The other JAMSTEC's
new vessel Mirai is reconstructing from the Mutsu
that was the atomic experimental vessel (she was launched in 1969)
and will be delivered on September 1997 from the shipyard (Ishikawajima-Harima
Heavy Industries Co.,Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co.,Ltd.).
Mirai is mounted with many and various high-accuracy observation
equipment, and engage in marine meteorological observation and
research on global scale for exteded periods. Mirai is
also equipped to deploy a batch of ocean observation buoys, and
is equipped with the Doppler rader, the Rosette water sampler,
the Ocean Lidar and so on.
Ms. Rietveld (Netherlands) reported that no changes
in research fleet are foreseen. RV Pelagia operated successfully
for some major programmes in the North Sea, on the Continental
Shelf in the Bay of Biscay and the North Atlantic. The Navy operated
Tydeman completed a trans Atlantic cruise for a major research
programme.
Mr. Goosen (South Africa) reported that Sea Fisheries,
because of financial reasons and due to mechanical problems that
were experienced on RV Africana and FRS Algoa, could
keep its fleet at sea for only 130 to 180 days during 1996. The
ships were used along the South African coast line for biomass
estimations of the major exploited marine species and during these
cruises environmental studies were also conducted. New trawl warps
and a bow thruster were fitted to RV Algoa and an investigation
is undeway for the replacement of the 38 years old 37m RV Sardinops.
Mr. Diaz (Spain) presented the news about the RV
Hesperides. She operated successfully in the past season (October
95 - June 96) in the Atlantic, Antarctica and Eastern Pacific.
Technical staff has grown now to 15 people for supporting the
future scientific cruises. The traction winch recently installed
with 10.000 m wire of 16 mm diameter was successfully used for
coring in the South-Eastern Pacific off Chile. Recently, the schedule
for the next season has been fixed: October 96 - June 97 in the
Alboran Sea Antarctica and Caribbean. The cruises included several
multipurpose campaigns, some of them under the umbrella of WOCE,
JGOFS and MAST international research programmes .
Mr. Adams (UK) reported that NERC-RVS continues to
operate the Royal Research Ships Discovery, Charles Darwin and
Challenger. BAS also operates RRS's James Clark Ross and Bransfield.
RRS Discovery has completed five major cruises in the Mid and
North Atlantic Ocean. She had one significant problem. On trying
to deploy a Giant Piston Corer, it was discovered that the ship's
structure and the structure and strength of the mechanical handling
system (gantries and wires) was inadequate to cope with the major
dynamic loads being imposed. As a result a careful (finite element
analysis) study was carried out and a programme of strengthening
the critical parts of the ship was implemented. As a result, the
UK will shortly have a safe platform from which to launch giant
corers. RRS Charles Darwin has completed seven major cruises in
the North Atlantic, making full use of her SIMRAD Multi-beam Echo
Sounder on some cruises. She had been scheduled to visit the
Red Sea for oceanographic work, but local hostilities in the very
area of intended work caused the expedition to be cancelled. RRS
Challenger has had a very full programme of cruises around the
UK in the North Sea and off the coasts of Scotland and Ireland.
The Marine Scientific Equipment Pool has been upgraded with investment
in new equipment. In particular the seismic multi-channel logging
system is currently being replaced with a modern system. The ship-to-shore
communication systems are being modernised to provide full electronic
data transfer facilities, in response to the rapid increase in
demand. A study was conducted into the design of a replacement
ship for RRS Challenger.
Mr. Morrison (UK Scotland) Mr Morrison ( UK Scotland)
reported that the SOAEFD research vessels Scotia and Clupea
had continued to operate very full programmes successfully over
the last year - with Clupea operating in the North Sea
and to the west of Scotland and with Scotia operating both
in the North Sea and in the North Atlantic - from Faeroe and Norway
in the north to the Celtic Sea in the South. In January 1996,
Ferguson Shipbuilders Limited of Port Glasgow were awarded a
£19.25 million contract for the construction of a 68 metre
replacement for the 25 year old FRV Scotia. Construction
work on this vessel started in July 1996. This vessel has been
designed to operate from 40' N to 63' N and from 20'W to 10'E
for cruises of up to 30 days endurance. The vessel will be diesel
electric, fitted with a single fixed pitch propeller, and will
have a cruising speed of 13 knots. The vessel will carry 12
scientists and a crew of 17 and has been designed as a sophisticated
pelagic and demersal fishing vessel as well as one designed carry
out a wide variety of oceanographic sampling. Special efforts
have also been made to ensure a low underwater noise signature
- to facilitate acoustic survey work. To achieve the various requirements
in a relatively small vessel has been a major design task which
has resulted in some unconventional features. The vessel is to
be equipped with de-mountable container laboratories that fit
within the structure of the ship (to reduce turn- around time
between cruises with different tasking), a system of sophisticated
cranes and tension controlled winches to reduce the problems caused
by pendulation during package handling over side and a large drop
keel to deploy acoustic transducers below the hull entrained bubble
layer in bad weather. The new vessel is due to come into operation
in early 1998.
Ms. Dieter (USA) reported that the upgrade of the UNOLS fleet continues. The Atlantis II was retired from the fleet in July of 1996. The Agor 25 (RV Atlantis) will replace the A II as the Deep Submergence support ship and will be operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The vessel is currently under construction and is expected to be operational in June 1997. Atlantis will support the DSV Alvin and the ROV´s. The RV Rodger Revelle (Agor 24) was delivered to Scripps Institution of Oceanography in July 1996. The completion of the new Agor's will bring the number of large UNOLS ships to six - Ewing, Melville, Knorr, Thompson, Revelle and Atlantis. All of these ships are outfitted with a multibeam system. The intermediate class mid-life refits are now completed. The New Horizon (SIO) mid-life was completed in early 1996. The vessels undergoing upgrade were Oceanus, Endeavor, WecomA, Johnson and New Horizon. Mid-lifes are being considered for two Cape Class vessels -- Point Sur and Cape Hatteras. The small ship inventory essentially remains unchanged, however a replacement for the Blue Fin is in the design stage and the 95' Urraca (Smithsonian) has entered the fleet. The total sea days for the fleet in 1996 is slightly down from previous years. This is due to the winding down of the large programs, such as WOCE and JGOFS, and a level science budget. As a result, one Cape Class vessel (Cape Hatteras) is currently in lay-up status. Although it is not anticipated that any vessels will be laid up in 1997 the NSF and ONR use of the fleet is expected to remain flat. UNOLS is currently negotiating with NAVOCEANO and NOAA for use of excess ship time. The use of the UNOLS fleet by these two agencies will provide new funding sources and positive schedules for several ships.
Dr. Heinrichs added that the US coast guard will
have a new ice breaker.
The secretary reported, on behalf of Dr. Elliot (Canada),
that planning is underway to provide the scientific ship requirements
in Canada from the amalgamated Canadian Coast Guard and DFO science
fleet. The objective of this approach is to achieve fleet efficiency
through multi-tasking of vessels. This model will still allow
for some vessels to be dedicated to scientific program however
a balance is preferred where all previously unused but available
time from ships nominally assigned to Coast Guard duties will
be filled to the maximum possible with other programs such as
our scientific requirements and the dedicated vessels be kept
to a minimum. Also we are proceeding implement a program management
style whereby the ship days will be purchased by each program.
It is expected that the Hudson will be available for the 1997
field season. An alternate vessel to replace the Hudson is under
discussion, to be achieved through a modification to an existing
vessel. It is expected that two to three years will be required
for this transition multi-tasking to be completed.
The secretary also reported on behalf of Cpt. Mulhern, that a number of changes affecting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fleet have occurred during the past year. Two research vessels are joining the NOAA fleet, while several have been retired recently. The NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown, named for the U.S. Secretary of Commerce who was killed in an aircraft accident in Bosnia, was launched May 30, 1996 and will be delivered in March 1997. It is similar to the Thompson, Atlantis, and Revelle which were built by the US Navy for the UNOLS fleet, and was built under the same contract. Conversion of a former US Navy T-AGOS vessel was completed this year. Uniquely configured for handling oceanographic moorings and related oceanographic research, it is now in service and is named the NOAA Ship Ka'Imimoana. Two well known NOAA ships, the
Discoverer and Malcolm S. Baldrige (formerly the Researcher), were decommissioned in August. They joined the NOAA ships Oceanographer, Fairweather, and Davidson that were previously decommissioned and will be disposed of. NOAA presently operates 8 fisheries, 3 nautical charting, and 4
oceanographic and coastal research vessels. Chartering
to full fill part of each mission requirement has increased. NOAA
works closely with the National Science Foundation, Office of
Naval Research, and the UNOLS fleet, and now charters a significant
amount of ship time from UNOLS academic institutions. Aboard
NOAA research vessels a large percentage (approximately 75%) of
members of the scientific parties continue to be from academic
institutions and international organisations.
Mr. Diaz also reported that in February 1995, 8 moorings
with current meters and sediment traps were deployed in the Bransfield
Strait (Antarctica) for one year. When going to recover in February
1996 only three of the moorings were recovered. The cause of the
problem still remains unknown.
Ms. Rietveld (Netherlands) reported the loss of a
125 meter mooring in the Bay of Biscay last June and the loss
of a bottom lander adrift at 10.000 feet in the North Atlantic
since September. Both instruments are reported to the lost equipment
site of OCEANIC. The loss of another mooring could be prevented
by the instalment of a radio-transmitter that revealed its position
by satellite when adrift. It was successfully recovered and deployed
again.
Mr. J.X. Castrec (France) reported the ship time
exchange with USA and Germany. In December 1995 the RV Nadir (with
Nautile) has provided 3 dive days for NSF (ODP Naut cruise). From
12 April 1996 to 16 May 1996 the French cruise ETAMBOT/2 was carried
out on RV Edwin Link. In September 1996 (Toulon 12-09-96 / Toulon
28-09-96) the RV Le Suroit operated by IFREMER has provided 17
days for the University of Berlin.
Mr. Zaitsu (Japan) mentioned staff exchange with
NOAA. On equipment losses a list was distributed of the loss of
three moorings, a seismograph and a magnetometer.
Mr. Goosen (South Africa) reported that in 1996 Sea
Fisheries (South Africa) had chartered RV Algoa to NERC
for current meter retrievals. With the USA a joint fish egg survey
on board RV Algoa was executed. Finally a joint intercalibration
and fish behaviour survey was done with the FRS Africana
and the FRS Dr Fritjof Nansen (participating countries
were SA, Namibia, Norway, France, USA and Angola). In future years,
joint research ventures like these will become more frequent,
especially in assisting the Southern African Development Countries
(SADC) with their research development. In 1996 Sea Fisheries
staff assisted the USA with current meter retrievals in the Southern
Ocean on board SAS Outeniqua and Namibia with fish behaviour
studies on board the Dr Fritjof Nansen. In 1996 only two
current meters were temporarily "lost" at a squid research
station.
A short discussion was held on the question of Autosub
insurance. The main issue here is the liability question discussed
during the ISOM working group on autonomous submersibles (see
next agenda item). The agenda item was concluded by Mr. Zaitsu
(Japan) with a presentation on present JAMSTEC fleet insurance.
The chairman concluded the discussion that for ship
operators no clear performance indicators are used. If they would
be available it would be easier for ship operators to assess the
nature and the volume of the marine research facilities especially
towards funding agencies and to improve the service more effectively.
The chairman concluded with the suggestion to develop
the bi-annual INMARTECH further and to organise the second in
co-operation with the RV-tech meetings in the USA.
Mr. Goosen (South Africa) asked ISO members' attention
for the serious manning problems SFRI has to cope with since premiums
on leaving Governmental jobs had been installed, whereas at the
same time operational budgets had been cut. SFRI is in serious
need of external funds for direct costs. Therefore it offers its
vessels for charter for fuel costs only.
The chairman reminded ISOM that this year ISOM was
held for the tenth time. He explained that within ISOM the executive
secretary play an important part as the memory of the group, while
the chairman changed every year. For the relatively new members
he introduced Frank Verdon, the secretary of ISOM from 1986-1991.
Frank Verdon was greeted warmly by the others. Frank Verdon thanked
the chairman for inviting him to this special occasion and gave
a presentation on ISOM history (enclosed)
It was agreed unanimously that ISOM would continue
to be an annual event.