Oceanographic Technical Services, LDEO, 2018 - 2023

DESCRIPTION: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University proposes to support technical services on R/V Marcus Langseth as part of the U.S. Academic Fleet which is scheduled by the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). R/V Langseth, a 235? seismic survey vessel purchased in 2005 from Western GECO to be operated as a geophysical research vessel (with some additional general purpose oceanographic capabilities) is owned by the National Science Foundation and replaced R/V Maurice Ewing, a 236? research vessel operated by LDEO from 1990 to 2005. LDEO is requesting funds to support both basic and specialized services for multichannel seismic data acquisition. They propose to provide at least three technicians on each seagoing research project to provide basic services and to maintain equipment, calibrate sensors, and provide support for qualified users. Specialized services include both 2D and 3D Multichannel seismic support and Mammal Mitigation efforts for 2018. LDEO proposes to sail eight technicians for the 2D seismic work and 10-12 techs for 3D. The budget in this proposal is for the first year of a 5-year continuing grant. The first year of this award will be negotiated with the Program and out-years will be estimated. Because ships are scheduled annually, it is not possible to project NSF?s fraction of total usage in out years. Therefore, budgets for Years 2 through 5 will be negotiated after receipt of Annual Reports that detail those schedules and associated costs. Broader impacts: The principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 13-589). It provides infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF). The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers.