Winter Expedition to Coastal Endurance Array
Equipment becomes fouled as marine life makes it home. Batteries run out. Wind and waves take their toll. That’s why every six months, the Coastal Endurance Array team heads offshore of Oregon and Washington. The Endurance Team left the harbor in Newport, Oregon on March 7, 2023 for its bi-annual mission to ensure the ocean observing equipment keeps collecting and sharing data. We will be sharing news about what’s happening aboard the R/V Sikuliaq as Oregon State University scientists and engineers recovers and deploys equipment at the Coastal Endurance Array for the 18th time. Jonathan Fram is serving as Chief Scientist. Cruise duration March 7-23, 2023. Check back regularly for updates.
Location
The Coastal Endurance Array is located in the northeast Pacific off the coasts of Oregon and Washington and consists of two cross-shelf moored array lines.
Ship
Pronounced [see-KOO-lee-auk], the 261-foot R/V Sikuliaq is one of the most advanced university research vessels in the world, capable of breaking ice up to 2.5 feet thick. The vessel is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, as part of the U.S. academic research fleet.
Updates
Regular posts about life aboard the ship, work accomplished, and encounters with marine life.
