About the vessel
Norway is to build one of the most advanced research vessels in the world as part of an ongoing project with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to support developing countries improve the management of their fisheries.
The new $80 million research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen will replace an older craft of the same name that has been navigating the coast of Africa since 1993, carrying out in-depth research into the state of the continent’s marine ecosystems for the EAF-Nansen Project, the latest phase of a unique 40-year programme.
The vessel will be built and outfitted at Gondan Shipyard in the north of Spain. Expected delivery is medio 2016. The core activity for the Vessel will be ecosystem studies with emphasis on fish stock assessment. In addition, the Vessel will be used for:
- Data collection for studies and understanding of climate change effects.
- Mapping of marine biodiversity.
- Measurements of CO2 and the resulting acidification of the oceans.
- Measurements of oxygen and de-oxygenation of the oceans.