Budget freezes and high fuel costs will force one vessel in the US academic oceanographic fleet — probably from an East Coast institution — to remain docked throughout 2009. Two other members of the fleet's 23 ships will run on only partial schedules.
At their annual meeting in Arlington, Virginia, last week, council members of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratories System (UNOLS) said the cutbacks were necessary to save money. Despite sidelining ships, UNOLS still faces one of its largest ever deficits, of $19 million, in its $100-million budget to fund next year's fleet.
Final plans to select the ships and strategies to cover the deficit will be made by the end of October.
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US academic fleet cuts operations as budget bites. Nature 455, 719 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/455719b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/455719b