Construction has begun on Taani (pronounced "Tawny"), a new research vessel that will advance the scientific understanding of coastal environments by supporting studies of ocean acidification, hypoxia, sea level rise, and other topics.
Operated by Oregon State University (OSU), Taani, a word that means "offshore" in the language of the Siletz people of the Pacific Northwest, will be the first in a series of Regional Class Research Vessels funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Research missions aboard Taani will focus on the US West Coast.
NSF has also funded OSU to build a second, similar research vessel, which will be operated by a consortium led by the University of Rhode Island.
The 60-metre Taani will have a range of more than 5,000 nautical miles, berths for 16 scientists and 13 crew members, a cruising speed of 11.5 knots, and a maximum speed of 13 knots. The ship will be able to stay at sea for about 21 days before returning to port and will routinely send streams of data to shore via satellite.
NSF awarded OSU US$121.88 million to launch the construction of the first ship. This past summer, funding was supplemented with an additional US$88 million, allowing Gulf Island Shipyards to proceed with the second vessel.
Taani is scheduled for delivery to OSU in the spring of 2021. After a year of outfitting and testing, the ship will be fully operational.