RV Marion Dufresne

Operator: IPEV - French Polar InstitutePaul-Emile Victor

Country: France

Website: http://www.institut-polaire.fr/ipev/bases_et_navires/le_marion_dufresne

Vessel Type: Multipurpose Research Vessel

Vessel Class: Global

Operational Area: All Seas but ice-covered

Endurance: 60 days max

Scientist berths: 110

Length: 120m

Features:

RV Marion Dufresne is a vessel serving two purposes:

• As a supply and logistic vessel for the French sub-Antarctic islands for 120 days a year (4*30) - During this time the vessel is operated by TAAF and, not available to EUROFLEETS;
• As an oceanographic research platform on the world’s oceans for 217 days a year – During this time the vessel is operated by IPEV and available to EUROFLEETS.

The vessel is designed to navigate in southern seas. It is able to supply all types of oceanographic missions: marine geosciences, biological oceanography, physics and chemistry of the oceans. RV Marion Dufresne has a unique, unobstructed starboard main deck that allows the deployment and recovery of IPEV’s “Calypso” corer. That piston-coring system, driven by a up to 10-tonne weight stand, has obtained sediment cores as long as 64,5 m.

Onboard scientific equipment:

Multi-beam echo sounder TSM 5265 (SF11 rev 2);
Sea Bottom Profiler 3.5 kHz coupled with MBES;
Magnetometer Geometrics G886;
Gravimeter Lacost et Rombeerg S77;
ADCP: 2 * RDI : 75 kHz and 150 kHz;
Thermosalinograph;
CTD profiler and rosette sampler 24 bottles;
Dynamic Positioning System.

Mobile scientific equipment on request:

CASQ corer (gravity 50*50cm square section); box core; plankton nets; rock dredges; mobile winch; reflexion seismic acquisition system.

French national equipment, please visit http://www.ifremer.fr/flotte/equipements_sc/eq/sismique/sismique.htm

Science support by crew:

Deck crew: 24h; technical support for onboard systems – winches, crane, full support for onboard science systems.

Availability for EUROFLEETS:

RV Marion Dufresne is being made available to the EUROFLEETS project for a total of 6 days during one cruise. The vessel will be available around the globe during the time operated by IPEV.

Travel and shipment costs:

Travelling costs for cruise participants and the shipment of equipment to the port of mobilisation and back from the port of demobilisation will be reimbursed up to a maximum of 34.000€. If higher costs are incurred they have to be covered by the applicant.

Requirements for scientist:

Insurance; medical information sheet.

Technical Specifications:

For the technical specifications please see the EurOcean European Research Vessels InfoBase at
http://www.rvinfobase.eurocean.org/spec/vessel.jsp?id=3937