NOAA Dedicates New Chesapeake Bay Research Vessel
April 23, 2009 — Mary Glackin, deputy under secretary for oceans and atmosphere, helped dedicate NOAA’s new state-of-the-art research vessel, the R/V Bay Hydro II, by breaking a champagne bottle over its bow during an April 15 ceremony in Baltimore, Md.’s Inner Harbor. The Bay Hydro II also received a cannon salute from a neighboring ship, the 18th century-era USS Constellation, also berthed in the harbor.
NOAA Deputy Under Secretary Mary Glackin dedicates the new R/V Bay Hydro II with a bottle of champagne. Photo credit: Lorraine Robidoux, NOAA.
“Bay Hydro II’s dedication marks another step forward in NOAA’s plans to modernize and improve its research and survey platforms,” said Glackin. She also said, “With much improved speed and endurance over her predecessor and state-of-the-art hydrographic surveying instruments, NOAA now has the ability to better meet the need for both routine and emergency response surveys of these waters.”
The Bay Hydro II will collect essential oceanographic data to aid safe navigation and environmental protection in the Chesapeake Bay region — the nation’s largest estuary and a major transportation artery. The vessel will also serve as an emergency response unit to assist when needed following Atlantic hurricanes or shipping-related accidents.
To view video clips of the dedication ceremony and learn more about the Bay Hydro II, visit: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/apr09/bayhydro.html.