R/V Taani Research Vessel Construction

A New Fleet for Ocean Science

The Regional Class Research Vessels program is building three next-generation ships for the U.S. academic research fleet, funded by the National Science Foundation and coordinated through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System. This particular hull, R/V Taani, will be operated by Oregon State University once complete.

A Louisiana Shipyard

The vessel takes shape at a Gulf Coast shipyard in Houma, Louisiana, where steel fabrication, outfitting, and system integration happen side by side on an active industrial waterfront. The yard's cranes and scaffolding towers frame the hull as it grows from a bare steel shell into a fully equipped research platform.

Watching the Build

This fixed camera, one of several trained on the project, keeps a constant eye on the ship's superstructure and surrounding work areas. Viewers can follow the slow, methodical progress of riveted plating, wiring runs, and deck equipment as the research vessel nears completion.

Destined for the Pacific

Once launched and commissioned, R/V Taani will sail to the West Coast, joining the academic fleet as a floating laboratory for oceanographers studying everything from coastal ecosystems to deep-sea geology.