The NOAA ship Delaware II RTE-a case study of the repairs-to-extend the service life of a NOAA research vessel

NOAA's Fleet Replacement and Modernization (FRAM) Program is intended to create a more efficient, more capable fleet of research ships in support of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and National Ocean Service. This paper describes the FRAM activities associated with one of those ships, the DELAWARE II (R445), serving NMFS' mission of building and maintaining sustainable living marine resources. There are nine NOAA ships working primarily for NMFS around the United States including DELAWARE II. The scope of the intended future research work and the necessary repair and redesign work are described.