Royal Research Ships
Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery was launched in Dundee in 1901 and her first voyage was the National Antarctic Expedition, from 1901 to 1904. In 1925, as part of a study on the potential for Antarctic commercial whaling, Discovery returned to the Southern Ocean as a Royal Research Ship. The challenging voyages of this ship helped lay the foundations for modern oceanographic research.
Modelled on the design of a whaling ship, Discovery was one of the earliest custom-built scientific research vessels.
RRS Discovery - In light pack ice - Life on board
Image Credit:
SAHFOS - NOCS - NOCS
RRS Discovery and Sir Alister Hardy
Sir Alister Hardy was the chief scientific
officer on RRS Discovery during the 1925
to 1927 whaling research expedition.
Hardy collected, sketched and painted
hundreds of plankton samples, prints
of which are held by the Sir Alister Hardy
Foundation for Oceanographic Research
(SAHFOS). He made important observations
of Southern Ocean fauna and
Antarctic geography. Image Credit: SAHFOS
“…behind us are the great towers of sails, filled with the breeze and brilliant in the sun, like outstretched wings.” – Hardy, Great Waters
The Continuous Plankton Recorder
Hardy designed the
Continuous Plankton
Recorder (CPR). Still in use
today, it takes a continuous
sample of plankton, preserving
it on a moving band of silk. Image Credit: SAHFOS
The original RRS Discovery is now in Dundee. Designed to work in polar ice, her hull averages 65 centimetres thick and her bows are 3.3 metres of solid wood.
Modern Research Ships
Today, one of the
Natural Environment
Research Council’s
modern research
fleet still bears
the proud name,
RRS Discovery. Image Credit: NERC
The latest addition to NERC’s fleet, RRS James Cook began work in 2007. She can accommodate over 50 scientists, officers and crew and is one of the most advanced research vessels in the world.
References
Fiennes, R., (2003) Captain Scott Hodder & Stoughton.
Savours, A., (1992) The Voyages of the Discovery, the illustrated history of Scott's ship Virgin Books.
Web-links
Links for further information
Captain Scott's ship: http://www.rrsdiscovery.com/index.php?pageID=129
NERC's RRS Discovery: http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/nmf/sea_sys_index.php?page=disco
NERC's RRS James Cook: http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/nmf/sea_sys_index.php?page=jcook
SAHFOS: http://www.sahfos.ac.uk/
Content Credit: National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science.