Vessel Science and Operations

Federal fleet schedule and request links for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS).

The Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R) program manages all US research fleet underway data. Historical NBP cruise data may be found on the R2R Nathaniel B. Palmer vessel page.

Marine Geoscience Data System MGDS: hosts the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Data Synthesis collection of data from research vessels of the US Antarctic Program.

US Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC): provides tools to help scientists find Antarctic data of interest and satisfy their obligation to share data under the NSF Office of Polar Programs (OPP) data policy.

SAMOS: A shipboard automated meteorological and oceanographic system (SAMOS) is typically some form of a computerized data logging system that continuously records navigational (ship's position, course, speed, and heading), meteorological (winds, air temperature, pressure, moisture, rainfall, and radiation), and near-surface oceanographic (sea temperature and salinity) parameters while the vessel is at sea.

Weather, tide and waterwall data are all stored at the Antarctic Meteorological Research Center webpage: Data can be downloaded at the FTP Index.

Antarctic research solicitation (2012-2022) describes the science programs supported by the USAP and how to prepare a proposal. Additional information is provided within the Information for Proposers section of this site, and the NSF web site.

The UNOLS Ship Time Request form for NBP and LMG should be submitted as a supplemental document with new proposals. To navigate the site:

1. Create a new member account if it is the first time visiting the site.
2. Click on the Principal Investigator tab. Detailed instructions can be found in the section How do I create a Ship Time Request.
3. Select a project and request the LMG or NBP.

Contacting the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer

NBP Points of Contact (ASC)
Vessel Email Service
Vessel Phone Numbers and Service

ARSV Laurence M. Gould Historical Archive

The NSF Antarctic Research and Supply Vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould ended its charter with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) in July 2024. View historical information about the Gould on the ARSV Laurence M. Gould Historical Archive page.