Training Vessels as platforms for Ocean Sciences; Possibilities and Challenges

Abstract

Ships are still important platforms for research and observation at sea, even though various unmanned and automatic observation equipment is in practical use at present. In Japan, institutional systems for shared use of research vessels have been developed and are being used. Given the nation's fiscal situation, however, we are facing increasing constraints on the research use of public vessels. Since various institutions in Japan own and operate "training vessels" for the purpose of training navigation officers and crew members, research use of these vessels may alleviate the constraints on research vessel operation. In this presentation, I will summarize the current situations of training vessels from the perspective of their use for research purposes.