Royal Research Ship

A Royal Research Ship is a British-operated merchant ship that conducts research for British Government scientific research organisations, notably the British Antarctic Survey ("BAS").

In the 1950s and 1960s the Royal Research Ships of the day were owned by the Admiralty, partially managed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and run as ships of that fleet. In 1962 on July 3rd, the present RRS Discovery was launched, she had been designed by Henry Herdman a scientist with the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) working with a naval architect, the vessel was placed on display in London and subsequently used as the base design for the RN 'H' class survey ships. The new Discovery was manned by the RFA until the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) took over full responsibility for the operations and manning of the British research vessels, initially through NERC Research Vessel Services - part of NERC Scientific Services. The "fleet" was divided into two groups under this umbrella, those ships operated in Antarctica managed by British Antarctic Survey and those which operate elsewhere. This second group of ships is now operated by National Marine Facilities, based at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton.

Notable RRS include:

* RRS John Biscoe
* RRS Charles Darwin
* RRS Bransfield
* RRS Discovery (three RRS have borne the name, "Discovery" - owned by "NERC")
* RRS James Cook (replacement for the "Charles Darwin" - owned by "NERC")
* RRS James Clark Ross (replacement for the "John Biscoe" - owned by "BAS")
* RRS Ernest Shackleton (replacement for "Bransfield" - bareboat charter by BAS)

RV "Prince Madog" is also a UK research ship (but not an RRS), jointly owned by the University of Wales, Bangor and VT Ocean Sciences. A small number of other UK research ships which are "not" RRS also exist.

ee also

*History of research ships

External links

* UK [http://www.nerc.ac.uk/ Natural Environment Research Council]
* UK [http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/ National Oceanography Centre] , Southampton