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Ocean Survey Vessel Bold
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Lake Erie, Pennsylvania |
The Ocean Survey Vessel Bold (The Bold) is EPA’s only ocean and coastal monitoring vessel. The Bold is equipped with state-of-the-art sampling, mapping, and analysis equipment including sidescan sonar, underwater video, water sampling instruments, and sediment sampling devices, which scientists can use in various monitoring activities. The vessel is a converted U.S. Navy T-AGOS class vessel and is 224 feet long and 43 feet wide. EPA acquired the Bold on March 31, 2004.
Ocean habitats are impacted by many human activities, including shoreline development, land-based sources of pollution, and discharges from vessels. With coastal populations increasing, pressures on oceans and coastal waters are also growing.
EPA recognizes that accurate and timely data collection and analysis along our coasts will help us take actions necessary to keep our nation’s coastal and ocean waters healthy.
- Basic Information - The OSV Bold has specific characteristics and abilities that meet EPA's ocean and coastal protection responsibilities.
- Fact Sheet
(PDF, 2 pages, 262KB, About PDF) - A summary of the OSV Bold's mission and capabilities. - History - The OSV Bold was launched as a Naval vessel in 1989 and in 2005 was converted to ocean survey work for the EPA.
The OSV Bold is the former Navy vessel, United States Naval Ship (USNS) Bold . Constructed by the Tacoma Boat Building Company of Tacoma , Washington , as a Tactical Auxiliary General Ocean Survey (T-AGOS) vessel, the ship was first commissioned in 1989 as the USNS Vigorous . The vessel was later renamed the USNS Bold and has served on many surveillance missions. The Navy decommissioned the USNS Bold in 2004, and then transferred the vessel to EPA . EPA converted the vessel to an Ocean Survey Vessel (OSV) to replace EPA's aging OSV Peter W. Anderson .
For More Information on the OSV Bold , contact the Oceans and Coastal Protection Division at (202) 566-1200 or visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/
Learn about monitoring in the Great Lakes by the EPA Research Vessel Lake Guardian.