MBARI’s future research ship to perform ocean expeditions

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has confirmed that construction will soon begin on its newest ocean-going research ship.

The vessel will be named David Packard in honour of MBARI’s founder. It will be capable of accommodating diverse expeditions in Monterey Bay and further out to sea.

The vessel will have a length of 164 feet (50 metres), a beam of 42 feet (12.8 metres), a draught of 12 feet (3.7 metres), and space for 12 crew and 18 scientists and other personnel.

The vessel will be designed by Glosten Associates and built in Freire Shipyard in Spain. Keel-laying is scheduled for November 2021 and launching will take place in September 2022.

David Packard has a scheduled completion date of May 2023. It will then be delivered to MBARI in time for the commencement of science operations in the following autumn.