University of Alaska Fairbanks SCHOOL OF FISHERIES AND OCEAN SCIENCES  
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On the Horizon

Alaska Region Research Vessel

Planning efforts for an Alpha Helix replacement have been on-going since 1980. The current design effort began in 2001 under the auspices of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Design Committee.

The Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV) is proposed to replace the 37-year old R/V Alpha Helix that is owned by the National Science Foundation. The need for a more capable ship to operate in the coastal and open ocean waters of the Alaska region was recognized by Congress, which appropriated $1M for a design study. Sufficient ice strengthening will allow it to work safely in moderate seasonal ice, operating over a longer period than formerly possible in the North Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, and the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas. The design is based on science mission requirements developed by the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System community.

Find out more at http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/arrv/
Download the ARRV fact sheet (971 KB PDF)

Lena Point Fisheries Facility

The University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences began construction on the Lena Point Fisheries Facility in late March 2007. The new facility will create the infrastructure for a world-class center of excellence for studying Alaska's marine resources and will provide the fisheries program with much needed space, vital for program accreditation and expansion. The UAF fisheries program is also undergoing a broad expansion and re-vamping through the SFOS Rasmuson Fisheries Expansion.

Current Status

Find out more at http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/lenapoint/
Download the Lena Point facility fact sheet (302 KB PDF, August 2007)