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Research Vessels
The Laurentian
The R/V Laurentian is an 80-ft steel-hulled vessel that was built in 1974 for use by the University of Michigan. In 2002, a partnership agreement between GLERL and the University provided for a 15 year lease, whereby GLERL assumed responsibility for the vessel's operation, maintenance, and scheduling of ship time. While the ship now primarily supports GLERL's Great Lakes research missions, the agreement also offers vessel access and support to University of Michigan scientists. In May 2006, the Laurentian was transitioned to total petroleum-free operation, using bio-diesel fuel and bio-hydraulic oils and lubricants.
The Laurentian operates from March to December and averages 125 operational days in a calendar year. The ship allows GLERL scientists to collect water samples and other data on the Great Lakes but can be made available to other researchers, time and cost permitting. The 488 square feet of wet and dry labs contain onboard water supplies and basic lab equipment for processing chemical, physical, and biological samples. On deck, the ship has an assortment of cranes and winches for deploying instruments and sampling gear including, CTD's and BT's, niskin bottles, corers, grabs, and s sidescan sonar.
Design
- Date Constructed - 1974
- Length - 80 ft.
- Beam - 21.8 ft.
- Draft - 8.5 ft.
- Hull Type - Steel
- Displacement - 129 tons
Power & Propulsion
- Max Speed - 10 knots
- Range - 2500 ml.
- Propeller - single, fixed-blade 46 inch
- Engine - 270 HP, 2:1 single reduction gear & hydralic clutch
- Fuel - Bio-diesel
Laboratory Facilities & Equipment
- Total space - 488 sq. ft.
- H/C fresh water
- Incubators
- Dissolved oxygen analyzer
- Air conditioning
- 120 VAC power
- pH meter
- Autoanalyzer
Deck Equipment
- Winches - oceanographic, electric bathythermograph
- Cranes - HIAB articulte
- Conductivity/temperature/depth sensors (CTD's)
- Niskin Bottles
- Grabs - Shipek, Ponar
- Corers - gravity, piston
- Weather station
- Side-scan Sonar
- Trawl and plankton nets
Navigation & Communications
- Radar - Sperry MK 12, Raytheon R3D4
- Loran/GPS - Trimble 104, Magnavox MX200
- Radio - Raytheon Ray 55, SSB Sea 222
- Depth Sounders - Ross D-600D; Ross 250C
- Sprerry ST Autopilot
- Gyrocompass
- Electronic Chart System
Contact Information
Dennis Donahue (Mgr.)
Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory,
Lake Michigan Field Station
1431 Beach St. Muskegon, MI 49441
Tel: 231 759 5173 / 231 759 2314
Fax: 231 759-2414
Cell: 231 750-6399
E-Mail: