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5"5-. 2 * F &?/z/H^JJLq. NOAA'S OCEAN FLEET MODERNIZATION STUDY Highlights of Phases l-lll ST*tt N cott£Cf« \ N DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE / U.S. 1 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of the Chief Scientist NOAA OCEAN FLEET: YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW NOAA was created in 1970 through a Presidential reorganization, but the survey activities of the fleet ofone of its predecessor agencies, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, became well established in the nineteenth century. Sketched from a photo is perhaps the best-known survey vessel of its time, the PATTERSON, built by James D. Leary at Brooklyn, NY, in 1883. It was a wood auxiliary barkentine, 435 tons, 163 feet long, with a 27 foot beam, and a draft of 14 feet. Much of its survey work was done in Alaskan waters. Commissioned in April 1960, the SURVEYOR, here depicted in a drawing, is a part ofNOAA's current ocean fleet. The ship has a welded steel/ice-strengthened hull and is 2,653 gross tons, 292 feet long, with a 46-foot breadth and a draft of 19.5 feet. It was built by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of San Diego, CA. The SURVEYOR conducts worldwide oceanographic research but is nearing the end of its useful service life (see p.2). A modernized NOAA fleet might employ ship designs such as the one shown for the JAMES CLARK ROSS which will soon join the fleet ofthe British Antarctica Survey. This ship is ice-strengthened. It is being built at the Swan Hunter Shipyard at Newcastle, England, and was scheduled to be commissioned this year. (Photo ofthe PATTERSON and drawing ofthe SURVEYOR courtesy ofNOAA/Office ofNOAA Corps Operations. Sketch of the JAMES CLARK ROSS courtesy of British Antarctica Survey and Swan Hunter Shipyard.) NOAA'S OCEAN FLEET ..10*™°**,,. MODERNIZATION STUDY Phases Highlights of l-lll 'M£NTof April 1991 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. Robert A. Mosbacher, Secretary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration John A. Knauss, Under Secretary Office of the Chief Scientist Sylvia A. Earle, Chief Scientist THIS ASSESSMENT STUDY PROVIDES A SERIES OF OPTIONS FOR MODERNIZING NOAA'S FLEET. THE STUDY DOES NOT INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THESE VARIOUS OPTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES, AND THE RELATED MAINTENANCE, OPERATING AND LIFE-CYCLE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH FLEET MODERNIZATION. STATEMENTS INCLUDED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED IN ANY MANNER AS POLICY-RELATED DECISIONS. This publication does not constitute an endorsement ofany commercial product or intend to be an opinion beyond scientific or other results obtained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the Department ofCommerce (DOC). No reference shall be made to NOAA or DOC, or this publication furnished by NOAA, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate that NOAA or DOC recommends or endorses any proprietary product mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an interest to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased because of this publication. A Message From The Under Secretary For Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator Under Secretary of Commerce The advanced age oftheNOA4fleet and itsgrowingfunctional obsolescence are widely recognized both within and outside NOA4. A 1988 study of the Marine Board of the National Academy of Sciences drew attention to the need for a modernized fleet capable of supporting a diverse array of complex scientific missions. To determine the shape and size ofthe next-generation fleet, we in NOA4 initiated an assessment ofmission requirements for the fleet into the next century and the existing fleet's capability to meet these requirements. This assessment, which started in early 1990, was conducted in three phases. Vie findings have already been published (Phase I, September 1990; Phase 11, October 1990; and Phase 111, October 1990). This "Highlights" document provides a synopsis of the three volumes. It covers the background ofthe study, methodology, implementation, significant findings, and conclusions and recommendations ofthe study groups. I hope this document will provide a briefand useful overview offleet modernization to all those interested in NOA4's ocean missions and itsfuturefleet to support these missions. John A. Knauss "RESEARCH AND SURVEY VESSELS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR NOAA'S MARINE AND ATMOSPHERIC MISSIONS." Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with furtaifl^lfSm LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/noaasoceanfleetmOOunit Highlights of Phases I - /// NOAA Priorities...and Problems capability of the vessels. Since 1970 has commissioned only one new ship. The NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric average age of the ships of the fleet is Administration (NOAA), as the Nation's "earth 25 years (Figure 1) with 30 years being the systems agency," has expanding life expectancy of a vessel which has responsibilities for a variety of oceanographic benefitted from a major midlife rehabilitation. NOAA and atmospheric research, assessment ofliving Of the twenty-three ships, only six marine resources, nautical charting, and have had even a partial midlife rehabilitation. mapping. Since its formation in 1970 through For the other ships, the midlife rehabilitation a Presidential Reorganization Order, NOAA's has been deferred due to budget constraints or legislatively mandated responsibilities have proposed replacement. For those ships which increased the scope and complexity of its have undergone some rehabilitation, the work missions. At a time when the Nation's focus has not been comparable to the service-life is increasingly drawn to such issues as climate extension practiced by the University National change and marine environmental quality these Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) responsibilities carry with them a high sense fleet and certain foreign countries, where the of priority. ship is totally gutted and refitted with new machinery and facilities. Yet one of NOAA's major tools by which it discharges these responsibilities is in decline, Since 1971 the total capital investment made NOAA thereby imperiling the conduct of its missions. by in vessel construction and refit has NOAA The age of the fleet and, in some been under $3 million. Indeed, funding for NOAA cases, its functional obsolescence have been capital improvements in the fleet has major factors in the declining mission undergone a serious decline relative to other — Highlights YEAR DELIVERED 1990 1980 1970 1965 1960 1950 1943 I AGE OF THE NOAA FLEET MEANOGRAPHtR MFREEMAN DISCOVERER FAIRWEATHER McARTHUR TCROMWELL DELAWARE RAINIER DAVIDSON RUDE T T T BALDRIGE MITCHELL FERREL OREGONII DSJORDAN riNGALBrATROSS-I-SURVEYOR n r I I I 10 20 21 22 23 24 25 ,'h 27 28 29 30 40 45 YEARS SINCE DELIVERY Figure 1. Age ofthe NOAA fleet. Silhouettes ofnamed vessels are plotted atyear ofconstruction. The average age ofthe fleet is shown to be approximately 25years. Note that the time scales have been distorted to clarify the data. organizations conducting oceanographic or delays inherent in old machinery regardless research. (Figure 2). of how well it is maintained. As the ships age, replacement parts are more difficult to Increasing Age. and Declining Mission obtain thus making repairs more costly and Capability The age of the vessels affects the repair periods longer. Also of concern is the . NOAA research mission of in a number of expense involved in operating these older ways. The most obvious of these is the vessels due to increased maintenance and the number of days at sea (DAS) the fleet can added manpower costs relative to modern achieve. Currently less than 3600 days at sea vessels which employ labor-saving (DAS) per year are provided by the NOAA technology. fleet to support NOAA's missions. present level ofDAS support is only 84% of The mission capability of the NOAA vessels the average annual number of DAS provided in many regards is of more serious concern This level of support than the age of the ships. The ships were is in large part a function of funding. If, built with the technology of the 1960's and to however, funding were available, the material satisfy very specific oceanographic objectives. NOAA condition of the current fleet would limit the The principal missions at the time available DAS to a less-than-desirable level. were geological and physical oceanographic Another problem caused by the age of vessels research, launch hydrography, and trawling to is the annoyance of unscheduled breakdowns determine stock assessment. During the past Highlights methodologies are also expected in future years. Research specifically addressing environmental issues was not undertaken in NOAA's early years; today it has become a strong component of the overall research effort. These new thrusts place a strain on NOAA's aging fleet. Development ofa Study Plan NOAA The need for a fleet with more sophisticated research 1961-65 1986-90 platforms is now widely PERIOD recognized both within and Figure 2. Comparison ofcapitalinvestments in ships among NOAA, theNavy, outside the organization. For and the National Science Foundation (NSF) since I960. Figures for 1961 example, in a recent study, the through 1970 arefor NOAA's predecessor organizations. Marine Board of the National two to three decades major advances have Academy of Sciences (1988) recommended been made in areas of technology and mission that: "NOAA should commission ... a study protocol. One major difference is scale. to define the characteristics of an idealized Thirty years ago descriptive investigations fleet to meet present and projected ship were still being conducted to obtain a services needs. The results of this study localized understanding of phenomena. should serve as the basis for the modernization NOAA Today, the research is directed toward of the Fleet..." In partial response to understandingthose processes driving regional this stated requirement and a similar or global phenomena, such as climate change perception on the part of NOAA, such a study and long-term changes in fish stocks. was initiated. The study reflects our efforts to Understanding these processes involves determine NOAA's mission needs into the next deciphering local events, frequently achieved century in the areas of oceanographic, though experimental studies and long-term charting/mapping, and fishery research, and to monitoring activities, and relating these to specify how these mission needs translate to NOAA large-scale phenomena. Furthermore, this the next generation of ships. research involves multidisciplinary investigations using sophisticated analytical The goals of the fleet modernization study techniques unknown 20 to 30 years ago. In plan were to: the same manner NOAA's charting and mapping efforts have shifted toward more articulate the ocean mission of NOAA in efficient tools and methods. Only the charting/mapping, living marine resource traditional methods of fishery stock stock assessment, and oceanographic assessment, e.g., trawling, have remained research into the next century relatively constant over the years. However, with advances in various optical and acoustic determine the character and size of remote-sensing technologies, changes in these charting/mapping, stock assessment, and Highlights oceanographic research vessels to form a type of ship specifications are needed to fleet to respond to NOAA's ocean mission satisfy these requirements and to develop a requirements series of fleet management recommendations; and, finally, to compare projected vessel needs anticipate future technology and its to the existing fleet. Figure 3 outlines this application to NOAA's mission process. This three-phase process was chosen to be developed in a serial rather than a develop a technical framework to decide parallel sequence. Each part, or phase, was an orderly replacement and/or upgrade of designed to be independent of the others but theexisting fleet consideringboth material using data obtained in previous phases. An condition and functional capability accelerated timeframe was developed in order NOAA to meet both a budget submission determine cost estimates for fleet deadline and to ensure that the findings of the modernization associated with various first part of the process were still valid at the mission requirement levels conclusion of the study. PHASE provide a technical data base for preparing I a fleet modernization plan that will be defensible in the federal funding process Implementation ofPhase J To determine the character of NOAA's next NOAA's ocean missions require a diverse generation of oceanographic vessels two array of research activities which can be considerations were most important. First, the viewed as a continuum with charting and users, rather than managers, must determine living-marine-resource stock assessments as the mission requirements for the ships; and two end members, each with unique second, the assessment must focus on NOAA's requirements. Bridging the continuum, future. To assure that such a study was not without clear boundaries, is oceanographic biased by existing resources, the approach was research. The broad spectrum of oceanic NOAA to delay any comparison to the present research encompasses all aspects of marine fleet until quite late in the process. To do so science as they relate to understanding the a method was chosen to identify, first, the oceans as part of the earth system. For the mission requirements; second, to define what two end members, the organizational structure PHASE I IdentifyNOAA'sOceanMissionandAssociated FLEETREQUIREMENTS PHASE II UserInitiatedandDriven DetermineHullCharacteristics, Cross-LineOffices Instrumentation&NumbertoMeet Cross-Disciplines REQUIREMENTS Cross-Programs Cross-CutBetween OperatorsandUsers Fishery Research Figure 3. A threefoldprocess was usedfor the assessment. A serial, rather than aparallel sequence was adopted.