Getting ocean science to sea
From seabed mapping to whale tracking, research vessels remain key to understanding our oceans
The ocean covers more than 70% of the planet and understanding what is happening within it requires an enormous amount of data. Today, scientists can draw on an expanding array of tools like satellites, autonomous vehicles, and other remote sensing technologies. But despite these advances, much ocean science still depends on people physically going to sea.
In April 2027, scientists, governments, Indigenous leaders, civil society, philanthropists, and the private sector will gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2027 Ocean Decade Conference. As they assess progress towards achieving "the science we need for the ocean we want," how that science is funded and supported will also be a topic of discussion.
The previous conference, held in Barcelona in 2024, identified both increased funding and access to ocean-science infrastructure as priorities for the remaining years of the Decade. One fundamental part of that infrastructure is the ships that get scientists – and their equipment – out onto the ocean.
Building the modern workhorse
Named after respected Inuk Elder, teacher, and knowledge keeper Naalak Nappaaluk, the CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk is the largest dedicated science vessel ever built for the Canadian Coast Guard.
The 88-metre vessel, which entered service in 2026, is designed for versatility. A modular working deck can accommodate mission-specific equipment, while cranes, towing booms, seismic compressors, and systems for deploying CTDs and other instruments allow scientists to work from the surface to the deep ocean. It also carries an ocean sampling room, specialised laboratories, and sonar and sensor systems.
Over the coming decades, this publicly funded research workhorse will support everything from research into climate-driven changes in the Atlantic to ecosystem and biodiversity monitoring and seabed mapping. It represents a long-established approach to ocean research: governments investing in adaptable vessels that can support multiple scientific disciplines and national monitoring programmes.
The privately funded super platform
Equipped with a remotely operated vehicle capable of descending 6,000 metres, a three-person submersible, nine laboratories, deep-ocean mapping systems, and a moonpool for deploying subsea equipment, REV Ocean takes a rather different funding approach – using private capital.
Rather than being government-funded, REV Ocean is backed by private capital through a not-for-profit initiative established by Norwegian businessman Kjell Inge Røkke. Researchers will be able to use the vessel for scientific missions. Commercial charters will provide an additional source of income, with the revenue reinvested into the research programme.
Its first Maiden Voyage Science Program is planned to coincide with the Ocean Decade conference in Rio. The 18-month voyage will start with seamounts off Brazil’s coast before heading into the wider South Atlantic, Caribbean, Sargasso Sea, and Eastern Tropical Pacific. The partner-led missions will investigate, deep sea ecosystems, blue carbon habitats, and more.
Using ships already at sea
Whether publicly or privately funded, dedicated research vessels are expensive to build, operate, and maintain. But not all research at sea requires a highly specialised vessel.
Heriot-Watt University's Whales & Arctic Vessels (WAVE) project is working with expedition cruise company HX Expeditions to study encounters between whales and ships in the high Arctic. Researchers join HX's existing commercial voyages, gaining access to remote waters, while passengers can learn about the research taking place on board and even participate in citizen science initiatives.
More recently, one of HX Expeditions’ vessels, the MS Fram, was fitted with a smart visual detection system developed by marine monitoring company Seiche. Mounted above the bridge, the compact system combines infrared imaging and high-definition video to scan the water continuously for whale blow – the plume of warm air expelled when a whale surfaces to breathe.
The trial will test whether such systems could continuously collect whale data from vessels already at sea and eventually support AI-assisted species identification and real-time warnings to bridge crews.
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Image: the REV Ocean. Credit: Guillaume Plisson, REV Ocean
