Operational career NOAAS Discoverer (R 102)

noaas discoverer (r 102)

when coast , geodetic survey , other united states government agencies combined form noaa on 3 october 1970, discoverer became part of noaa fleet research ship noaas discoverer (r 102), first noaa ship bear name. home port later shifted seattle, washington. in 1985, received multi-beam bathymetric mapping sonar, inmarsat satellite communications system, , global position indicator.

during years of service, discoverer s assigned projects varied cruise cruise, , common several different projects carried out aboard simultaneously. types of studies carried out varied , included biological, chemical, geological , physical oceanography, meteorological, , seismic research. discoverer s major projects included aerosol characterization experiment (ace), radiatively important trace species (rits), world ocean circulation experiment (woce), combined sensor project (csp), global ocean-atmosphere-land system (goals) project, , noaa s vents project (involving study of underwater volcanic , venting activity within 100 nautical miles (190 km) of coast of state of washington along southern juan de fuca ridge blanco fracture zone, , marginal subduction zone). ancillary projects, carried out in addition main objectives of each cruise, included automated shipboard aerological program (asap), cadet training program (for students california maritime academy, united states military academy, , united states naval academy), marine mammal observations (she averaged 23 sightings of marine mammals per year), use of shipboard environmental data acquisition system (seas) (averaging 1,700 weather reports per year, among top ten reporting ships in program in each year 1989 through 1996 , top reporter in 1992, 1993, , 1994), , teacher @ sea program (in teachers came aboard observe operations in vents program).

during 1987, united states navy used discoverer replacement military sealift command oceanographic survey ship usns bowditch (t-ags-21), installing bowditch s narrow-beam mapping sonars, doppler sonar, , navigational equipment aboard discoverer.

during final field season in 1996, discoverer provided at-sea platform 2 of largest oceanographic experiments ever conducted—the first aerosol characterization experiment , final pacific cruise world ocean circulation experiment. these expeditions sought determine effects of atmospheric pollution on global climate, , understand physics of climate change on earth. results these cruises used improve global climate, ocean circulation, , greenhouse gas models.

noaa decommissioned discoverer @ seattle, washington, on 16 august 1996. remains inactive, , in reserve in noaa pacific fleet @ seattle.

shark attack

on 23 march 1994, discoverer in pacific ocean 300 nautical miles (560 km) east of easter island allowing several members of crew engage in recreational swimming when shark attacked swimmers. after biting seaman phil buffington, inflicting wounds on legs require on 50 stitches close, shark attacked heather boswell, 19-year-old student aboard six-month stint working in discoverer s galley, pulling under, shaking viciously, , biting off left leg @ mid-thigh. 3 members of discoverer s crew—matthew n. ofthus, jon m. knox, , lisa k. glover—came rescue in boat, 2 pulling shark s jaws , boat while third beat shark stick. shark moved toward third swimmer still partially in water while climbing onto discoverer via rope ladder, shots fired crewmen aboard discoverer apparently drove away before attack. boswell , buffington brought aboard discoverer, ship s registered nurse, lieutenant commander judeth l. layne of united states public health service, took charge of treating them. in seattle, commander lawrence f. simoneaux, noaa corps, lieutenant commander james herkelrath, noaa corps, , lieutenant commander steve c. stringfellow, u.s. public health service, set command post provided life-saving medical advice layne aboard ship , arranged logistical support evacuation of buffington , boswell , arrival of emergency medical teams. in 1994, efforts in rescuing , saving lives of 2 injured swimmers, layne, ofthus, knox, , glover received department of commerce gold medal , simoneaux, herkelrath, , stringfellow received department of commerce silver medal.

a five-person air force medical team, led major darr lafon, md , major larry martindale, rn flew on kc-135 howard afb panama easter island meet ship , take care of shark bite victims. had go ship in small wooded easter island fishing boats , climb side of ship reach deck. spend 4 hours on ship , stabilized heather boswell, had lost half of blood in attack. after multiple transfusions, team , ship s crew transported ms boswell through 20-foot (6.1 m) swells fishing boat landing @ easter island. flew 7 hours panama , heather boswell taken surgery @ gorgas army hospital initial closure of remained of left thigh. after stabilization overnight, more transfusions ms boswell, both victims transported seattle in c-21 learjet air ambulance.