INTRODUCTION 



The ships of the NOAA Fleet are vessels which serve the 

 needs of the Department of Commerce and the Nation, They are 

 found operating in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, in the Gulfs 

 of Mexico and Alaska, and in the Great Lakes. 



The programs supported by the ships include the National 

 Ocean Service's (NOS) nautical charting and marine assessment programs, 

 the resource assessment activities of the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, and the research activities of the Environmental Research 

 Laboratories. The particular tasks assigned to each ship may 

 range from a hydrographic survey in an estuary to an extensive 

 international oceanographic study spanning an entire ocean. Thus, 

 the variety of configurations, characteristics, and equipment of 

 the vessels included in this publication describe the versatility 

 of the ships of the NOAA Fleet. 



Management and operational support for the fleet is 

 provided for through the Atlantic Marine Center in Norfolk, Va., 

 and the Pacific Marine Center in Seattle, Wa. Both Marine 

 Centers provide additional support through facilities in Woods 

 Hole, Mass.; Miami, Florida; Pascagoula, Mississippi; San Diego, 

 California; Anchorage, Alaska; and Honolulu, Hawaii. 



Ships of the NOAA Fleet are identified by color scheme, 

 letter-number designator, and by the display of the NOAA logo on 

 both sides of the bow. The hull and superstructure are painted white; 

 stacks are white with two tone blue bands; masts are buff; and boot 

 tops are black. Letter-number designators appear on both sides of 

 the bow, forward of the NOAA logo, and below the letters "NOAA". The 

 designator is a three digit number preceded by the letter, "R" for 

 research vessel, or "S" for survey vessel. The first number of 

 the three digit identification is the class grouping for NOAA 

 vessels and is determined from a combination of gross tonnage and 

 its main propulsion plant's rated horsepower. The remaining 

 digits are the vessel's hull number. 



This presentation of NOAA's Fleet of ships will be revised 

 as necessary to maintain an accurate description of each ship in 

 an operational status. The data presented in this publication have 

 been reviewed for accuracy. However, due to the variability of 

 complements and the repair and/or replacement of equipment, 

 the accuracy of these data must be verified with each vessel command. 



