NOAA orders fisheries survey vessel at Marinette Marine

NOAA has awarded a $73.6 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contract to Fincantieri Marine Group's Marinette Marine Corporation located in Marinette, Wis. It covers construction of what will be the fifth in a series of state-of-the-art Oscar Dyson-class fisheries survey vessels built for the agency.

It will be equipped with a full suite of modern instrumentation for fisheries and oceanographic research, including advanced navigation systems, acoustic sensors, scientific sampling gear and extensive laboratories.

The ship will be operated by NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and will primarily support NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center.