UNCW’s new Osprey vessel takes marine science learning offshore

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The University of North Carolina Wilmington is giving its marine science students a new way to learn — offshore.

UNCW recently added the 78-foot R/V Osprey, a research vessel designed to give students and faculty more opportunities to conduct research at sea and gain hands-on experience outside the traditional classroom.

“Receiving this new vessel was an incredible experience,” said Ken Halanych, executive director of the Center for Marine Science.

Docked at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science, the Osprey is equipped with wet and dry laboratories for research, along with equipment capable of lifting heavy objects onto the stern, advanced communications systems, and basic living spaces.

Halanych says the vessel will expand opportunities for experiential learning.

“We are very focused on experiential learning, getting students the opportunity to interact with the environment and get hands-on learning, not just book learning, and this vessel will help with those opportunities,” said Halanych.

Jamie Clark, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in UNCW’s biology and marine biology program, said the vessel could also help researchers better communicate their work to the public and highlight the importance of coastal ecosystems.

“It’ll definitely contribute to, honestly, the ability for us to share our science with the public because fieldwork is often, it’s hard to describe and hard to show people what you do,” said Clark.

Jay Styron, UNCW’s associate director for marine operations and captain of the Osprey, said the vessel was made for the marine biology program.

“It was designed literally from the bottom up for marine science, for maneuverability, stability, so having all those features now at your fingertips, it is a night-and-day difference from our old vessel,” said Styron

The Osprey is expected to give UNCW more opportunities to study coastal waters while helping train the next generation of marine scientists.