VIMS christens newest research vessel

The College of William and Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) christened its newest research vessel on Tuesday, April 30.

The 93-foot (28-metre) Virginia was designed by JMS Naval Architects and built by Méridien Maritime Reparation of Quebec. It replaces VIMS' previous research vessel, the 65-foot (19-metre) Bay Eagle, which has been in service with the institute since 1987.

Virginia will primarily be used for fisheries research but may also carry out bathometric and seismic surveys. It is also capable of deploying remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).