The University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus celebrated the 40th anniversary of Research Vessel Endeavor with hands-on demonstrations and tours for the public last weekend.
“It was an outreach to the community,” Tom Miller, assistant dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography, said. “It was a way of bringing everyone together with marine biology and interests in the other fields.”
The vessel had not hosted an event that was open to the public in many years, according to Bruce Corliss, dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography.
Over 100 volunteers helped with tours of the ship, food vendors, and educating the public with their academic knowledge of ocean life. Larger associations, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also set up informational and interactive stations.
“Safety is the number one priority,” Casey Hearn, one of the ship’s tour guides, said. “Research comes second.”
Leading to the ship was a line of tables covered by tents that showcased graduate students’ research within the many topics studied at the bay campus. Students provided activities made for all ages at each booth, including coloring books, touch tanks and hands-on exhibits for kids, as well as trifold posters of diagrams and facts for those interested in the research. Among the large mass of visitors was Gov. Gina Raimondo and Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin, who stopped by for a tour and lesson about environmental sustainability and awareness.
“We plan for this to occur again next year, possibly a two-day event,” Corliss said. “It not only has an impact on the state, but the university as well.”
Jacob Balcanoff, a second-year graduate student in the geological oceanography department, had different types of sediment strewn across his table which drew the attention of many children. Balcanoff demonstrated how different minerals are currently being used as energy sources.
Another booth demonstrated how the air we breathe affects the ocean, as some graduate students are studying the patterns of how much carbon dioxide the ocean is pulling out or taking in. Other booths detailed the issues of plastics polluting our waters and tracking the hurricanes over the years, focusing on how they directly affect our society.
The ship was adorned with flags of all countries, and has three floors that were open for the public tours. Built by the National Science Foundation and operated by the university, the ship measures 185 feet in length and takes 30-day trips. The ship can hold 31 people—generally 13 crew members and 18 scientists. As the tour proceeded, kids filled out a scavenger hunt booklet to make the tour enjoyable for the whole family.
Scientists bring their own lab equipment on board, for the ship only provides wooden tables and monitors. As the scientists work, they must drill holes through their equipment into the tables to keep them stable. There are mobile laboratories on deck that collect water and sediment samples. The results that are found here are later transferred down below to the lab where they can take a closer look.
The ship also provides areas that most people wouldn’t think of—a small kitchen, called the “galley”, a diner-like area to eat that turns into a general purpose room at night, and a quaint library. Steward Michael Duffy is informed of each ship member’s dietary preferences before each trip to provide the best service for the hardworking scientists and crew.
Down below is a narrow hall where there are cabins for two people each. Within the tight quarters are bunk beds and desks, as well as personal tanks of breathable oxygen that lasts for five minutes in case of an emergency escape.
In its forty years since 1976, Research Vessel Endeavor has traveled to various locations in South America and the Pacific. Its next stop is back here in Rhode Island after it circles Georges Banks in the New England region as well as east of Bermuda.