Gulf Island Fabrication laid the keel for the US National Science Foundation's (NSF) third and final Regional-class research vessel on Tuesday, March 3.
The vessel honours the late Gilbert R. Mason, an African-American physican and civil rights activist from Biloxi, Mississippi.
The University of Southern Mississippi and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) will share in the operation of Gilbert R. Mason following its expected delivery to the NSF in 2023. It will then be used primarily in the Gulf of Mexico.
