University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System
Encyclopedia
The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is a group of academic institutions and National Laboratories organized in the United States to coordinate research vessel use for federally funded ocean research. The UNOLS office is currently located at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography.
The UNOLS system grew from the recognition during the rapid expansion of oceanographic activity that there was no organized means of coordinating ship time requests of researchers, particularly those from institutions not operating vessels and that more expensive ships were not the answer. Federal research sponsors were concerned about more effective use of those expensive assets. Even though a more formal National Oceanographic Laboratory system was not established the less formal and less federally controlled cooperative system of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System was established. The form this took lay between federal control of the fleet and uncoordinated use of the often federally owned research vessels at the institutions. UNOLS was chartered in 1971 to coordinate and support federally funded oceanographic research through efficient usage of the fleet.http://www.unols.org/committees/fic/biennial/history.html | UNOLS Website: History of UNOLS by Robert P. Dinsmore
UNOLS goes beyond simple coordination of fleet activities. The system has developed standards and standard practices in cost accounting, reports, information services, shipboard equipment and services, foreign visit clearances, safety and coordinates on new vessel acquisition. In that last area UNOLS has played a part in influencing designs to most effectively support the mission. This has influenced the design of most U.S. and some foreign research vessels.
(NSF), Office of Naval Research
(ONR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) and the Minerals Management Service
(MMS) and other agencies.
The majority of the ships are owned by federal agencies and the ships are available to all federally funded researchers. Federal agencies also utilize excess ship time in fulfilling some of their ship based requirements.
owns vessels operated by UNOLS institutions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
operates a large vessel, the Ronald H. Brown in cooperation with UNOLS. The U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers also cooperate on research scheduling. A number of well known research vessels have been members of the UNOLS fleet. Some are now retired or otherwise out of UNOLS service. All of the Navy owned oceanographic research (AGOR), as opposed to survey, vessels are now operated by institutions within UNOLS.
In addition to vessels UNOLS assists in scheduling oceanographic research using aircraft owned by federal agencies through the Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Aircraft Research (SCOAR).
The UNOLS system grew from the recognition during the rapid expansion of oceanographic activity that there was no organized means of coordinating ship time requests of researchers, particularly those from institutions not operating vessels and that more expensive ships were not the answer. Federal research sponsors were concerned about more effective use of those expensive assets. Even though a more formal National Oceanographic Laboratory system was not established the less formal and less federally controlled cooperative system of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System was established. The form this took lay between federal control of the fleet and uncoordinated use of the often federally owned research vessels at the institutions. UNOLS was chartered in 1971 to coordinate and support federally funded oceanographic research through efficient usage of the fleet.http://www.unols.org/committees/fic/biennial/history.html | UNOLS Website: History of UNOLS by Robert P. Dinsmore
UNOLS goes beyond simple coordination of fleet activities. The system has developed standards and standard practices in cost accounting, reports, information services, shipboard equipment and services, foreign visit clearances, safety and coordinates on new vessel acquisition. In that last area UNOLS has played a part in influencing designs to most effectively support the mission. This has influenced the design of most U.S. and some foreign research vessels.
Federal Support, Cooperation and Funding
Federal support for and cooperation with UNOLS is found in the National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
(NSF), Office of Naval Research
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
(ONR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
(USGS) and the Minerals Management Service
Minerals Management Service
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement , formerly known as the Minerals Management Service , was an agency of the United States Department of the Interior that managed the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf...
(MMS) and other agencies.
The majority of the ships are owned by federal agencies and the ships are available to all federally funded researchers. Federal agencies also utilize excess ship time in fulfilling some of their ship based requirements.
Institutions
As of December 2009 sixty-one institutions are members. Some operate vessels while some are non-operator institutions. Those non-operator institutions were first associate members and are now full members.Vessels
Vessels are either owned by or, more often, assigned to and operated by the institutions. UNOLS itself is neither the operator nor the funding agency for research. Many of the vessels are owned by federal agencies with the Navy having the largest number. The National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
owns vessels operated by UNOLS institutions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
operates a large vessel, the Ronald H. Brown in cooperation with UNOLS. The U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers also cooperate on research scheduling. A number of well known research vessels have been members of the UNOLS fleet. Some are now retired or otherwise out of UNOLS service. All of the Navy owned oceanographic research (AGOR), as opposed to survey, vessels are now operated by institutions within UNOLS.
In addition to vessels UNOLS assists in scheduling oceanographic research using aircraft owned by federal agencies through the Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Aircraft Research (SCOAR).
See also
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
- Office of Naval ResearchOffice of Naval ResearchThe Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
- United States Naval Research LaboratoryUnited States Naval Research LaboratoryThe United States Naval Research Laboratory is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a program of scientific research and development. NRL opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison...
- List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy