R/V Oceanus

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R/V Oceanus, shown prior to a 1994 midlife refit.

R/V Oceanus is a research vessel is owned by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The ship has been used extensively in recent years for studies of the Gulf Stream and the Deep Western Boundary Current, of climate change, and of red tide.

At 54 meters (177 feet), Oceanus is a mid-sized research vessel designed for expeditions lasting two to three weeks. The ship spends most of its time working in the North Atlantic with occasional trips to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and the edges of the Arctic Ocean.

Oceanus was delivered to Woods Hole in November 1975, and the first scientific voyage was undertaken in April 1976. She is operated by a crew of 12 and accommodates a scientific party of 19 for up to 30 days at sea.

The ship underwent a major mid-life renovation in 1994, which included the construction of a new deck house and new pilot house, along with increases in laboratory space and accommodations for scientists. Outfitted with two winches and a crane, the ship is often used for deploying oceanographic buoys and moorings.

The ship was designed by John W. Gilbert Associates of Boston and constructed by Peterson Builders of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Oceanus has two sister ships: Wecoma, operated by Oregon State University, and Endeavor, operated by the University of Rhode Island.

The name of the ship is drawn from Greek mythology. The Titan Oceanus, father of the river gods and sea nymphs, was represented as a great stream of water encircling the Earth and believed to be the source of all bodies of water.