Polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough anchors off Banff coast
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Polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough has been anchored off the coast of Banff.
It is one of the most advanced ships of its kind and was built to be operated by British Antarctic Survey.
It became infamous in 2016 when suggestions for its name were put to internet users and Boaty McBoatface topped a public vote.
It was eventually named after the naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough but one of its remotely operated subsea vehicles was given the title that won the poll.
It is currently anchored off Banff en route to its next destination Loch Eriboll where it is expected to arrive on Friday, August 12 at 7am.
The multidisciplinary research platform has transformed how ship-borne science is conducted in the polar regions and provides scientists with state-of-the-art facilities to research the oceans, seafloor, ice and atmosphere.
The polar ship was commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council and built by Cammell Laird for operation by British Antarctic Survey.
The commissioning of the RRS Sir David Attenborough is part of a major Government investment in polar infrastructure which will keep Britain at the forefront of world-leading research in Antarctica and the Arctic.
This £200 million commitment represents the UK Government‘s largest investment in polar science since the 1980s.
The vessel has a wide range of specialist scientific facilities, instruments and laboratories which enable scientists to conduct multi-disciplinary work to study the ocean, seafloor, ice and atmosphere.
Marine robotics and remotely operated vehicles, including Boaty McBoatface, capture data from the deep ocean and previously inaccessible locations under the ice.
From the ship, scientists can deploy, operate and control a range of remotely piloted science instruments at the same time, meaning they can gather measurements from both airborne and marine remotely operated vehicles and autonomous platforms simultaneously.
It is also the first British polar research ship to feature a moon pool, a vertical shaft running through the vessel, open to both the air and sea.
Using this, scientific equipment can be deployed and recovered through the centre, and most stable part, of the hull.
The ship operates year-round spending the northern summer supporting Arctic research cruises and the austral summer in Antarctica carrying out research programmes and bringing people and supplies to BAS research stations.
Its ice-strengthened hull, designed to break through ice up to one metre thick, and ability to spend up to 60 days at sea means the RRS Sir David Attenborough can undertake extensive voyages.
The ship’s operational facilities enable it to undertake logistics work efficiently, maximising the time spent on research cruises.
