The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship
Reuben Lasker is the fifth in a series of Oscar Dyson-class ships
and one of the most technologically advanced fisheries vessels
in the world. The ship’s mission is to support NOAA’s mission to
protect, restore and manage the use of living marine, coastal and ocean resources through ecosystem-based management. Funded under the Ame
rican Recovery and Reinvestment Act and built by Marinette Marine Corporation in Wisconsin, the ship’s primary objective is to support fish, marine mammal and turtle surveys off the U.S. Reuben Lasker and her sister ships collect the data required for science-based conservation and management of living marine resources. Reuben Lasker has multiple science mission capabilities. The ship is
equipped with the latest technology for fisheries and oceanographic research, including advanced navigation systems, multi-frequency acoustic sensors, and direct sampling gear and extensive laboratories. The ship is designed for ultra-quiet operations – extremely low sound signature reduces reactions of fish to the presence of the ship and enhances signal-to-noise ratio of acoustic sensors. This allows scientists to study fish populations and collect oceanographic
data with fewer effects on fish and marine mammal behavior. The multi-frequency scientific sounders provide the ability to conduct acoustic surveys that can distinguish fish types and estimate their biomass. Multi-beam sonar provides information on the shape of fish school biomass and sea floor topography. The types included on the Reuben Lasker are:
EK60 – Increased data quality for fish target identification and fish stock assessment
ME70 – High resolution multibeam designed for water column fish target identification over larger areas. Can provide seabed mapping for habitat analysis
MS70 – Shows fish school characterizes and behavior as schools can be tracked, studied and followed in real time throughout the entire water column
SX93 – Omnidirectional long range fish finding sonar allows to track, follow and target fish schools at long range in any direction throughout the water column. The ship is equipped with oceanographic sampling and measurement systems, instrumented trawls, and plankton nets for direct sampling. The ship has a dynamic positioning system to steer along a pre-determined track line and to accurately hold the ship in a fixed position. The ship also has extensive wet and dry labs to provide maximum utilization of every hour at sea. These technologies will dramatically improve the ability to conduct surveys for fish, marine mammals and turtles off the west coast of North America and in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Comment Guidelines for NOAA Social Media Channels:
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