RV Svea

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Infrastructure Profile

Infrastructure Provider

Location/Home Port

Lysekil, Sweden

Organisation & Address

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Ship Management Unit, P.O. Box 7021, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden

Infrastructure Webpage

Visit Website

Link to Vessel/Infrastructure Schedules (if applicable)

Visit Website

Normal Area of Operation

North Sea 56.5110° N, 3.5156° E, Skagerrak 58.3523° N, 9.9315° E, Kattegat 56.9520° N, 11.3004° E, Baltic Sea 58.4880° N, 19.8633° E, Bothnian Sea 62.0885° N, 19.4019° E

Maximum Number of Days Available

10 days

Overview

Length

69.5 m

Breadth

15.8 m

Draught

5.4 m

Gross Tonnage

3148 T

Ice Class Rating

Dynamic Positioning (DP) Rating

DP1

Service Speed

11 knots

Maximum Number of Scientific Berths Available

20 berths available

Scientific and Technical Specifications

Laboratory Facilities

• Fish lab: Sorting and analysis of fish

• MIK lab: Handling and analysis of fish larvae and plankton

• Instrument workshop: Service of instruments. Electrical workshop.

• Oceanographic workshop: Multipurpose area for handling of instrument platforms like buoys, gliders, towed vehicles etc. Also for work with sediment samples including sieving station for benthos

• Wet lab: Sampling of plankton, water and sediment

• CTD Hangar: CTD rosette operations. Handling of water samples

• Chemical lab: For analysis and management of data from water samples. Office compartment.

• Nutrient analysis lab: For analysis of nutrients

• Isotope lab: Handling of samples using radioactive substances

• Ferrybox room: Continuous underway surface measurements

Additional laboratories, equipment etc can be taken onboard in containers. On the work deck there is space for:

• two 20 feet containers in longitudinal placement or one 20 feet container in latitudal placement on stareboard side

• one 20 feet container or two 10 feet containers centrally

Maximum container capacity is thus three 20 feet containers.

CTD/Plankton sampling

Specially designed CTD Rosette with 24,5 L water bottles on a rotatable rack. A SBE 9+ and HD video camera via fibreoptic multiplexer with several free serial and ethernet ports. SBE 9+ additional sensors: 2 x oxygen, Wetlab FLNTUS, Wetlab FLPC.

SBE 19 CTD also available.

Several nets for plankton sampling available and can be deployed from dedicated platform.

Multi-Beam(s)/Sub Bottom profiling

• Scientific echo sounder (EK80, 10-500 kHz), in drop keel and in ROTV (Focus 2), remotely operated towed vehicle

• Multibeam sonar (MS70), in drop keel

• Multibeam echo sounder (ME70), in drop keel

• Multibeam echo sounder (EM2040-MK2), in drop keel

• Sub Bottom profiler (Topas PS40), in drop keel

• Teledyne Marine Ocean Surveyor ADCP 150 kHz and Workhorse Mariner ADCP 600 kHz, in drop keel

Fisheries Echo Sounders/Sonar

• Long range, low frequency fish finding sonar SX90 (20-30 kHz)

• High resolution, high frequency fishery sonar SH90 (110-120 kHz)

USBL

HI-PAP and underwater navigation system for acoustic positioning and navigation of e.g. remotely operated underwater vehicles, (SSBL/USBL)

Transponders also available

Coring/Sampling Capabilities

Box corer, grab sampling and geological coring available. Large size coring may be limited

Winches

Oceanographic (Heave compensated):

• CTD winch, 1500 m – ø11.5 mm (optic fiber), SWL 8 kN

• Multi-purpose winch, 3000 m – ø11.5 mm (optic fiber), SWL 15 kN

• Bow towing winch, 300 m – ø11.5 mm (optic fiber), SWL 15 kN

• Hydrographic winch, 1500 m – ø6 mm stainless wire, SWL 5 kN

• Net towing/Coring winch, 1500 m, ø16 mm dyneema wire, SWL 120 kN

Oceanographic (net drum for moorings)

• Movable deck winch, 300 m, ø30 mm synthetic wire, SWL 30 kN

Fishery:

• 2 x trawl winches, 2500 m, ø26 mm, SWL 290 kN

• 2 x net drums, 2×10.4 m², SWL 170 kN

• Auxiliary winch, 100 m, ø20 mm, SWL 10 kN

• Net sounder winch, 2500 m, ø11 mm, SWL 15 kN

2 x trawl door winches, 600 m, ø28 mm, SWL 25 kN

Communications

Managed communications system with Starlink, dual Ku band VSAT system, dual 4G systems and shore WiFi

Special features

Silent vessel (ICES 209). The vessel is fully equipped for demersal trawling as well as pelagic trawling with:

• GOV-trawl (grand ouverture vertical)

• TV-3-trawl

• Pelagic Fotö-trawl

The iSYM Autotrawl system from Scantrol gives full control of the trawls’ geometry.

Two aft cranes, A-frame and large net drums for mooring and buoy deployments.

Two drop keels for deployment of scientific instrumentation

Three identical, movable fiber optic multiplexers to be used with the three fiber optic oceanographic winches to serve as agile instrument platforms for users.

Towed equipment

• AML Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP 200) for underway profiles of CTD, oxygen and Chl-a fluorescence.

Two MacArtney ROTV’s (Remotely Operated Towed Vehicles)

• Triaxus with a SBE9+ free space for additional payloads

• Focus 2 with EK 80 and HoloLense

• Towed under water HD camera sledge for bottom video recording

Fully equipped weather station: wind, temp, humidity, pressure, visibility, precipitation, cloud height.

Radiation: PAR, global solar irradiance, radiation for ocean colour (sea thruthing for remote sensing).

Underway surface measurements:

• Ferrybox for temp, salinity, oxygen, fluorescence (chl-a, turbidity, phycocyanin, cdom), pH, pCO2

• IFCB – Imaging Flow Cytometry of phytoplankton

• Automated net sampler for zoo- or phytoplankton

Automated and refrigerated water sampler.

-80 degrees Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer

Suitable Surveys

Multipurpose silent research vessel. Suitable for carrying out a wide variety of scientific survey operations in offshore and deep-sea locations. The vessel is adapted to accommodate a variety of Remotely Operated Vehicles.

Vessel capable of pelagic and demersal trawling to 2200 m, Fisheries acoustic surveys, Hydrographic survey, Oceanographic surveys, Mooring deployments, Seismic surveys, ROV Surveys, Benthic surveys.

Scientific Limitations

Deployment of gear limited to 2500 m

Large size coring may be limited

Vessel capability to support ROV deployment

The vessel is prepared for operating small to medium size inspection and work class ROVs. ROVs can be taken on board as a container module. Crane and A-Frame for Launch and recovery.

Support offered to AQUARIUS users

Access to the vessel and all vessel equipment will be made available to scientific users on request and with custom tailored support.

Infrastructure Availability and Contact Details

Year 2025

Location: North Sea 56.5110° N, 3.5156° E, Skagerrak 58.3523° N, 9.9315° E, Kattegat 56.9520° N, 11.3004° E, Baltic Sea 58.4880° N, 19.8633° E, Bothnian Sea 62.0885° N, 19.4019° E. Availability by Month: Part of March, April, June, July, September, October and November. Ports of operation in the period of availability: Swedish or Danish ports.

Year 2026

Year 2027

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

RVSvea-charter[at]slu.se

Certification and Clearance Requirements

Medical Certification Requirements

No certification required

Are additional medical checks required?

No certification required

Survival training certification required for joining vessel

No certification required

Additional certification required

Scientific personal must participate in the on-board safety training and familiarize oneself with Svea

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.

Any additional clearances required for area or type of activity

Clearances required for entering protected areas

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RV Svea

Integrating Research Infrastructures – Connecting Scientists – Enabling Transnational Access

for healthy and sustainable marine and freshwater ecosystems