R/V Oceanus Decommissioned and Celebrated

The R/V Oceanus was decommissioned last year, but its 45 years of service to the oceanographic community were celebrated at Oregon State University (OSU) at an event Friday May 6, 2022. The Coastal Endurance Array team used the Oceanus for many recovery and deployment expeditions before her retirement in 2021.

The Oceanus was originally built in 1975 and began its work as a research vessel in 1976. Photo: OSU.

R/V Oceanus departing WHOI on the deployment leg of OOI At-Sea Test 2 (AST-2) on September 22, 2011. Photo: Ken Kostel ©WHOI.

Prior to its tenure at OSU, the Oceanus was in service at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) from 1976-2012.  WHOI retired the ship and it was transferred to OSU in 2012.  While at WHOI, the ship was used in early test deployments of equipment being evaluated for use in OOI arrays.

“The R/V Oceanus and its sister ship R/V Wecoma remain my favorite research vessels for air-sea interaction research due to their moderate size, uncluttered bows, and streamlined shapes,” said Jim Edson, Principal Investigator of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). “Research cruises on these vessels led to the development of the direct covariance systems we are using on the OOI surface moorings today.”

The Oceanus will be replaced with a new modern research vessel, the R/V Taani, which is expected to be delivered next year.

The Oceanus’ service in the Pacific is celebrated in this video produced by OSU:

Video remembrance of Oceanus:

Video of departure: