Daniel Oliver - US grants

This is a Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction project for the construction of a 236 foot research vessel to work in the waters off the coast of Alaska including the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) proposal is in response to the National Science Foundation Program Solicitation NSF 07-515 for the management, acquisition and operation of an Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV). The construction of an ARRV was given the highest priority in the report ?National Academic Research Fleet ? a Long Range Plan for Renewal?. The proposed design was developed with input from the oceanographic science community and the academic fleet operators. The design was completed in December 2004 and is well suited for oceanographic and fisheries research in the harsh, ice-infested Alaska seas during all seasons.

UAF proposes to assemble a management team for the acquisition of the ship that draws on extensive experience for public agency ship procurements. They propose to use experienced personnel and vessel acquisition procedures that have proven successful in Alaska Marine Highways (AMS) recent vessel acquisitions. UAF will be using the Earned Value Management (EVM) and Project Execution Plan (PEP) systems used by AMS during these acquisitions. The University is contracting with two experience marine science technical engineers to insure the ship science capabilities are not compromised.

The proposal was reviewed by 10 mail reviewers and 10 panelists. A major recommendation from the panel was a phased acquisition strategy to mitigate risk. A four phase approach is proposed with given milestones to be completed prior to funding of the next phase. This CSA provides the funds for Phase I and completion of related milestones including the design refresh and cost update, project execution plan, development of an oversight committee, draft shipyard contract and completing the formation of the project management team.

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The award is made to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) for the construction of the Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV) based on the approval to proceed received from the National Science Board in March 2009. Delivery of the vessel is anticipated in mid-2013 with science operations beginning in 2014.

Technical Description: The 242-foot Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV) will be a multipurpose research ship that will dramatically improve access to Arctic waters and expand current scientific capabilities in the region. It is designed specifically to operate in seasonal sea ice and open ocean waters near Alaska; including the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Bering Seas as well as the eastern Arctic. To do so, the hull will be ice-strengthened to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) ice classification standards. The ARRV will provide a much needed, technologically-advanced oceanographic platform to enable multidisciplinary teams to conduct field research at the ice edge and in seasonal sea ice up to 3.9 feet thick. The ARRV will have many advanced capabilities including next-generation science handling systems to improve safety and efficiency at sea, and a modern suite of satellite communications to link the ship to educational facilities ashore. It is designed to have a minimal influence on its own environment, including low underwater radiated noise (URN) for fisheries and acoustics research, and reduced stack emissions to enable atmospheric research. With twenty six dedicated science berths, the ARRV will be able to accommodate over 500 researchers and students annually and spend as many as 300 days at sea. The anticipated operational lifetime of the ARRV is at least 30 years.

Broader Impacts: The Alaska coastline is longer than that of the contiguous forty eight states combined, and the area of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is approximately two thirds of the total US EEZ. The Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska sustain more than half of the total annual national fish catch. The area supports one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world, as well as rich and varied marine mammal populations.

The Arctic region is changing rapidly. Perennial sea ice has been estimated to be decreasing by about 9% per decade, potentially leading to a summer ice-free Arctic Ocean by the end of the century or even sooner. In the summer of 2008 the Northwest Passage was open for the first time since satellite imagery has been taken. Along with the significant ecosystem changes and impact on coastal communities, this change could impact national security and commerce by providing regular trade routes further into regions along the north coast of Alaska. Opening this fragile area to commerce will heighten the importance of scientific research to understand the effects.

Scientific interest in the Arctic region is intensive and highly varied. For example, dramatic changes in biological productivity have been predicted as a consequence of progressive warming, continuing ice recession, changing ocean currents, ocean acidification, and varying climatic conditions. Changing Arctic climate may well be one of the critical drivers for climate change over the entire planet. Besides biological and climatological changes, the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian areas are also subject to major seismic processes. Extending our knowledge about subduction zones and the eruptive history of seafloor volcanoes would help predict the potential risk for devastating tsunamis. All of these scientific missions and activities are of continuing interest and great importance not only to the U.S., but also to the economic and environmental welfare of the entire globe.

The Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV) will provide a safe and highly effective platform for scientific access to these remote and inhospitable areas that are of such great national and international importance. The ARRV will replace the R/V ALPHA HELIX which was operated by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. When the vessel was retired from service in 2006 it was well past its expected 30-year service life. The ARRV will be the first NSF-built ship since the 1980?s. Committing to construction of this highly capable vessel represents a major NSF contribution to the International Polar Year legacy, advancement of US Arctic Policy, as well as the effort to better understand global issues, including climate change and ocean circulation.

The University of Alaska - Fairbanks requests funding for upgrades to the seawater system. The seawater system would be upgraded to a dual line system to provide redundancy, and a straining system would be installed to control line clogs due to debris and marine organisms. An improved seawater system would provide a guaranteed uninterrupted flow to the Hood lab and the mooring shop. The Hood lab supports a variety of biological research which requires a constant flow of seawater to sustain live organisms .It is home to the Alliance for Coastal Technology (ACT) which uses the system to test underwater equipment. The endocrinology lab would also benefit from an upgraded seawater system as future studies with fish and invertebrates are being pursued.

In recent years, the wet lab has housed studies on a variety of live animals including halibut, zooplankton, blue and red king crab, Tanner and snow crab, sablefish, abalone, decorated warbonnet, searcher, and eulachon. These studies have increased our knowledge of the basic biology and habits of these organisms, as well as tested materials and techniques to further their study in the open ocean.

Broader Impacts:

The lab has a consistent history of supporting graduate student research, with numerous students from around the country residing here and carrying out research in the labs served by the seawater system. In this regard the SMC operates as a national center of sorts, particularly as the home port for the Alaska regional research vessel, and is unique in both its location and service to the oceanographic community. Research and training productivity of the facility is solid, with the SMC serving as the home base for both students and faculty, and as a staging base for visiting scientists. The SMC also provides a unique outreach to native populations, despite being in a small and remote area. It has done an excellent job in fostering the NOSB competition by involving several high schools, and by hosting the national competition in 2008. It has met the challenge of its remote location (it is 500 miles from the main campus at Fairbanks) through the use of video conferencing classes. The SMC hosts visitors to the neighboring Alaska Sea Life Center and they also host the Alaska region National Ocean Science Bowl (a marine-oriented quiz competition for high school students). They recently hosted the national Ocean Science Bowl competition.

This is a Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) project for the construction of a 254 foot research platform; the Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV). This multipurpose research ship will dramatically improve access to Arctic waters and is specifically designed to operate in seasonal sea ice and open ocean waters near Alaska, including the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Bering Seas, the Gulf of Alaska and southeastern coastal waters. Understanding changes in Arctic sea ice is vitally important to developing a better understanding of global climate change. Satellite observations have shown that the perennial ice in the Arctic is thinning at a rate greater than current models predicted, and recent research suggests the thinning is beginning to have major regional and global consequences. The ARRV will provide a much needed, technologically advanced, oceanographic platform to enable multidisciplinary teams to conduct field research at the ice edge and in seasonal ice in order to address a variety of critical regional and global ecosystem issues including climate change and ocean circulation. This will be the first NSF new-build toward renewal of the U.S. academic research vessel fleet since the 1980s.

The original University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) proposal was in response to the National Science Foundation Program Solicitation NSF 07-515 for the management, acquisition and operation of an Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV). The original proposal was reviewed by 10 mail reviewers and 10 panelists. A major recommendation from the panel was a phased acquisition and construction strategy to mitigate risk and provide oversight. A four phase approach was implemented by NSF with given milestones to be completed prior to funding of the next phase. The design was completed in December 2004 and was refreshed during Phase I of the project following award of the Phase I CSA (0723426). A successful Final Design Review (FDR) was held in October 2008 which utilized an external panel of experts to verify the project baseline (cost, scope, and schedule) as well as UAF?s Project Execution Plan (PEP). Following the National Science Board (NSB) approval to proceed in March 2009, UAF began the shipyard selection phase (Phase II). All Phase II milestones were completed successfully and NSF consent to award the shipyard contract was granted in early December 2009. The project baseline was also updated from FDR following receipt of bids and reviewed internally by NSF for accuracy and sufficiency as part of the consent to award process. This revised project baseline is the basis for this award and does not significantly differ from FDR or what was approved by the NSB. NSF remains confident that the project can be successfully completed with a total project cost of $199.5M.

Oversight of the project is maintained through weekly teleconferences with UAF, planned quarterly site visits, and annual external reviews. An independent oversight committee (AOC) provides advice and recommendations to both UAF and NSF on the technical and scientific priorities for the vessel throughout the planning and commissioning period. NSF has also retained a consult with experience managing the construction and design of a similar research vessel in the UK.

UAF then awarded the construction contract to Marinette Marine Corporation of Marinette, Wisconsin on December 18, 2009. The shipyard project kick-off meeting will be held in January 2010 with the first quarterly project review meeting in March to monitor design verification and transfer. The AOC will hold their first sea trials and science operations planning meeting in February 2010. The next external panel review will be held in May at NSF headquarters where progress during the initial stages of Phase III will be assessed by a panel of experts similar to FDR. Actual construction will begin in September 2010. Ship delivery and sea trials are planned for January 2013 with science operations beginning in January 2014.

This is a Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction project for the construction of a 254-foot research vessel to work in the waters off the coast of Alaska including the Chukchi, Beaufort and Bering Seas. The University of Alaska, Fairbanks? (UAF) original proposal was in response to the National Science Foundation Program Solicitation NSF 07-515 for the management, acquisition and operation of an Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV), now known as the R/V SIKULIAQ. The construction of an ARRV was given the highest priority in the report National Academic Research Fleet, A Long Range Plan for Renewal.

The original proposal was reviewed by ten mail reviewers and ten panelists. A major recommendation from the panel was a phased acquisition strategy to mitigate risk. A four phase approach has been implemented that requires certain milestones to be completed prior to funding the next phase. UAF is using Earned Value Management (EVM) and a Project Execution Plan (PEP) as approved and monitored by NSF. NSF conducts annual panel reviews to evaluate project implementation.

This award provides the funds for Phase IV, Transition to Operations which includes a period of final outfitting, science and ice trials, and delivery to the vessel?s home port in Seward, Alaska. The final construction design is currently being developed with the selected shipyard. Fabrication will begin in October 2010, with delivery to UAF currently scheduled for January 2013. The SIKULIAQ is expected to begin science operations in early 2014 as a member of the US academic research vessel fleet (www.unols.org) once Phase IV is completed.

This award is for operations of R/V Sikuliaq in calendar 2014, and is year-one of a three-year cooperative agreement to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for operations of the research vessel to support peer-reviewed sea-going science. In calendar year 2014, R/V Sikuliaq will transition from construction to operations after a series of sea-trials. Approximately 90 science/operational days will be carried out in the latter half of 2014. R/V Sikuliaq will be operating in the Western Pacific off Hawaii and Guam, with one cruise utilizing an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) SENTRY within the Emperor Seamounts, specifically Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, and a second cruise operating a high resolution AUV to conduct a magnetic survey of the Hawaiian Jurassic Basin. One of R/V Sikuliaq's missions will include provision of educational opportunities both for students of the marine sciences and the general public. Periodically, the University plans to hold open houses and outreach events to provide early exposure to oceanography that target Alaskan tribal nations. Additionally, community events will include tours through the ship facility, hands-on demonstrations of on board marine science research guided by faculty, students and ships' crewmembers, or at sea real-time internet connection to classrooms with the ship's telepresence capabilities.


R/V Sikuliaq - pronounced see-koo-leee-auk, and translated from Inupiaq as "young sea ice" - is a 261-foot ice capable research vessel designed to weather harsh conditions to help advance polar and sub-polar scientific research. Owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, R/V Sikuliaq was launched in October 2012 and is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment to bring scientists to ice-choked polar regions, able to cut through ice up to 2.5 feet thick. In this calendar year, one of the cruises will utilize SENTRY, an AUV operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, which is equipped with a standard suite of scientific and engineering sensors. SENTRY is a flexible platform where scientists, according to their specific interests and scientific needs, can interface additional sensors. R/V Sikuliaq is well suited to support these research programs in terms of equipment and ship capabilities for AUV operations.