RV ''Robert Gordon Sproul'', sometimes shortened to ''Sproul'', is a

research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

operated by the

Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) is the center for oceanography and Earth science at the University of California, San Diego. Its main campus is located in La Jolla, with additional facilities in Point Loma. Founded in 1903 and incorpo ...

(SIO) as part of the

University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System The University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) is a group of academic institutions and National Laboratories organized in the United States to coordinate research vessel use for federally funded ocean research. Authority The UNOLS ...

(UNOLS) fleet. The ship is named after Robert Gordon Sproul, the first system-wide president of the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

Construction

The RV ''Sproul'' was constructed in

Bayou La Batre, Alabama Bayou La Batre ( or ) is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,204, down from 2,558 at the 2010 census. Bayou La Batre is a fishing village wi ...

by Steiner Fabricators in 1981 under the name of ''Midnight Alaskan''. It was built using a modified gulf coast design for use by oil rig companies.

Acquisition by Scripps

The vessel was purchased by Scripps director William Nierenberg on July 27, 1984, as a replacement for the outgoing RV ''E. B. Scripps''. She was purchased from the chartering firm Midnight Boats, based in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, with SIO using the marine broker company Marcon International, Inc. After being purchased, she was renamed after Robert Gordon Sproul and underwent a number of modifications for increased scientific research along the

Coast of California Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economic ...

and

Gulf of California The Gulf of California (), also known as the Sea of Cortés (''Mar de Cortés'') or Sea of Cortez, or less commonly as the Vermilion Sea (''Mar Vermejo''), is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that separates the Baja California peninsula from ...

. She departed Louisiana in August and embarked on her first scientific cruise to study seals near the

Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula ( , ; ) is a large peninsula in southeast Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west of the peninsula from the C ...

, then traveling through the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

and docking in San Diego in October 1984. In 1991, then-captain Louis Zimm estimated the ship to be valuated at $3 million. Between September 2014 and December 2015, ''Sproul'' completed all operations using 100% biofuel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robert Gordon Sproul 1981 ships Scripps Institution of Oceanography University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research vessels