RV Gaia Blu

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Infrastructure Profile

Infrastructure Provider

Organisation & Address

CNR, P.le Aldo Moro 7, 00185 Roma (Italy)

Infrastructure Webpage

Webpage under construction

Normal Area of Operation

Mediterranean Sea, lat range 27°N/46°N, lon range -11°E/40°E

Maximum Number of Days Available

10 days

Scientists’ Travel and Logistics (T&L) Budget Available

€ 18,000.00

Overview

Length

92.9 m

Breadth

13 m

Draught

5.8 m

Gross Tonnage

2024 T

Ice Class Rating

Dynamic Positioning (DP) Rating

DP0

Service Speed

11 knots

Maximum Number of Scientific Berths Available

22 berths available

Scientific and Technical Specifications

Laboratory Facilities

The ship has 6 labs (data acquisition room, dry lab, wet lab, data lab, science store, library/meeting room) with a total lab space of about 180 m². In the wet lab, 2 freezers and a refrigerator are available. Additional -20°C and -80°C freezers are available in the science store. On the cargo deck, there is space for two 20-feet containers (gear, lab, ROV control or refrigerator/freezer)

CTD/Plankton sampling

SBE911 CTD with 24 Niskin bottles Carousel sampler +

SBE911 CTD with 24 ultra-clean bottles GEOTRACES Carousel sampler

Multi-Beam(s)/Sub Bottom profiling

3 MBES, completed with positioning system Seapath 380 and MIDAS SVP (6000 m), MiniSVS, VA500, MRU 5:

• EM304 (50 kHz), 1000-5000 m

• EM712 (70-100 kHz), 200-1000/1200 m

• EM 2040-04 (200-400 kHz), < 250 m

Chirp sonar profiler Knudsen 3260 with one (1) 12kHz + nine (9) 3.5kHz transducers

Fisheries Echo Sounders/Sonar

• SIMRAD EK60 (ES18, ES38B, ES70-C, ES120-7C, ES200-7C and 710-30) with software EK80

• SIMRAD EA600 (12-16, 38-9, 120-25 and 200-28 kHz)

• SH90

USBL

HiPAP 352(P)

Coring/Sampling Capabilities

Coring and sampling capability up to 5500 m water depth.

• Piston corer with launching and recovery system up to 25m

• Gravity corer (10m max length)

• Box Corer, Grabs

Winches

• 4 Cranes – 1.3t, 1.3t, 1.7t, 2.4t

• 1 A-frame (9t), 2 J-frame (3t, 4t)

• 1 electric CTD Winch (40 kN) w/ LARS –5500 m Vectran cable

• 1 electric Corer Winch (90 kN) – 5500 m steel cable (12.7 mm)

• 1 electric Multipurpose Winch (90 kN) – 5500m steel cable (12.7 mm)

• 1 hydraulic multipurpose Winch (15 kN) – 2000 m Dyneema fiber (5 mm)

Communications

• C-band Maritime VSAT Antenna System (mod. v240 C)

• Sea Tel 97 series

• Land communication system (LTE, 5G)

• Starlink Flat High Performance Kit (Maritime/Energy)

Suitable Surveys

• Oceanography

• Geology

• Biology

• Chemistry

Scientific Limitations

Fisheries and geophysics. No winch available for SSS or multinet, but the ship is equipped to accommodate one (winch basement and electrical junction boxes)

Vessel capability to support ROV deployment

Yes

Support offered to AQUARIUS users

The new “Gaia Blu” is a multipurpose research vessel that will monitor the quality of the Mediterranean Sea. The ship offers a wide range of capabilities, including geophysical, marine geology and oceanographic facilities, laboratories, and equipment to monitor the environment process. The vessel has the most sophisticated instruments to enable high precision measurements of the deep sea and morphology of the seabed.

Infrastructure Availability and Contact Details

Year 2025

Mediterranean (Port of operations and period of availabilities TBC)

Year 2026

Mediterranean (Port of operations and period of availabilities TBC)

Year 2027

Mediterranean (Port of operations and period of availabilities TBC)

Contact email for applicants to discuss the initial feasibility of their work while they prepare their application

lorenza.evangelista[at]cnr.it

Certification and Clearance Requirements

Medical Certification Requirements

STCW Seafarers Medical Certificate

Are additional medical checks required?

TBD

Survival training certification required for joining vessel

STCW Personal Survival Techniques Training

Additional certification required

TBD

Diplomatic clearance or other permits required and any relevant information about the application process

Under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) MSR/Diplomatic clearance is required for research cruises taking place in other EEZs (national jurisdictions other than the vessel’s own). Application forms should be submitted via Diplomatic Channels (Government Foreign Departments/Ministries) 6-7 months prior to sailing by Principle Investigators in conjunction with the vessel operator. RV Vessel Operations department will generally administer the application process but please consult with the operators in advance.

For operations in Italian waters, 2 months notice is required.

Additional training required

Users must provide by themselves the STCW95 training.

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RV Gaia Blu

Integrating Research Infrastructures – Connecting Scientists – Enabling Transnational Access

for healthy and sustainable marine and freshwater ecosystems