RV ''Kaharoa'' 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

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research or NIWA (), is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. Established in 1992, NIWA conducts research across a broad range of disciplines in the environmental sciences. It also maintai ...

(NIWA) of

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. Launched in 1981, the vessel has undertaken a wide range of surveys, data from which has led to the discovery of several new species, such as a new species of

eelpout The eelpouts are the ray-finned fish family Zoarcidae. As the common name suggests, they are somewhat eel-like in appearance. All of the 300 species are marine and mostly bottom-dwelling, some at great depths. Eelpouts are predominantly found i ...

, five new species of '' Fissuroderes'' and a new species of copepod in the genus ''Bradyidius.'' The ship has played a "key role" in the International Argo Project. A replacement vessel, , is due in 2024.

History

Launched in 1981, the ship is long, with a

draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

. It has a cruising speed of . KeneperuSoundAtSunset

RV ''Kaharoa'' is scheduled to be replaced by in 2024. It is longer than the ''Kaharoa'' and has increased capacity for staff, as well as laboratory and desk-based research. Within NIWA, the ship was nicknamed 'The Little Ship That Can', due its size and performance. The replacement is due to the ''Kaharoa'' reaching the end of its operational life.

Research

Scientific discoveries

As a research vessel, it has been involved in a number of scientific discoveries. In 2012 the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...

's OceanLab expedition found 'supergiant

amphipods Amphipoda () is an order (biology), order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. Amphipods () range in size from and are mostly detritivores or scavengers. There are more than 10,700 amphip ...

' up to long in the

Kermadec Trench The Kermadec Trench is a linear ocean trench in the south Pacific Ocean. It stretches about from the Louisville Seamount Chain in the north (26°S) to the Hikurangi Plateau in the south (37°S), north-east of New Zealand's North Island. Togethe ...

, identified as the species ''

Alicella gigantea ''Alicella gigantea'' is an amphipod inhabiting the deep sea, the largest species ever observed, with some individuals reaching up to long; this species is an example of abyssal gigantism. The monotypic ''Alicella'' lives only at great depths ...

''. In 2013 a further iteration of the OceanLab project using the ''Kaharoa'' led to the discovery of a new species of

, as well as new depth records for species of deep sea

cusk eel The cusk-eel family, Ophidiidae, is a group of marine bony fishes in the Ophidiiformes order. The scientific name is from the Greek ''ophis'' meaning "snake", and refers to their eel-like appearance. True eels diverged from other ray-finned fish ...

and

rattail Grenadiers or rattails are generally large, brown to black gadiform marine fish of the subfamily Macrourinae, the largest subfamily of the family Macrouridae. Found at great depths from the Arctic to Antarctic, members of this subfamily are amo ...

. RV ''Kaharoa'' also contributed to the discovery of five new species of '' Fissuroderes'', found off the coast of Costa Rica and the

Firth of Thames The Firth of Thames () is a large bay located in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the firth of the rivers Waihou and Piako, the former of which was formerly named the Thames River, and the town of Thames lies on its south ...

. Another example of the ship's role in scientific discovery is that of a new species of copepod in the genus '' Bradyidius''.

Fisheries surveys

The ship has also undertaken a wide range of fisheries surveys. Some examples include: assessment of juvenile snapper, 2019–21; species in the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,RV Ikatere, RV ''Ikatere'''';'' amongst others. The ship was also used to survey the sea floor to measure and analyse the impact that

Cyclone Gabrielle Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated parts of the North Island of New Zealand and affected parts of Vanuatu and Norfolk Island in February 2023. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ...

had on it in 2023.

Argo float project

The ship is part of the International Argo Project, a float deployment scheme focussed on climate and oceanic data, as well as the Global Drifter Program. The ship has deployed Argo floats since 2014, concentrating on getting the floats to areas with low maritime traffic in the Southern Hemisphere, sailing 79,996 nautical miles as part of the project. In 2020, during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the crew of the ''Kaharoa'' undertook their longest voyage to date, to continue to support the deployment of Argo floats – work that had been delayed due to lockdown restrictions globally. The ship has played a "key role in the global deployment... of the Argo array". As of 2024, NIWA estimates the ''Kaheroa'' to have deployed about a quarter of all Argo floats.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaharoa Research vessels of New Zealand 1981 ships