LUMCON Oceanographic Instrumentation Proposal 2022

This proposal requests funds for Oceanographic Instrumentation for R/V Pelican, a 116-foot, general purpose research vessel operated by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) as part of the US Academic Research Fleet. The vessel has averaged 156 days at sea over the last five years. There are currently 173 days scheduled in 2022, 100 (58%) of which are for NSF.

With this proposal, LUMCON provides technical descriptions and rationale for the acquisition of the following Oceanographic Instrumentation: Pacific RO 20 L/hr Reverse Osmosis System $9,801 WET Labs ECO-FLNTU-RTD Fluorometer/Turbidity Sensors $13,902 Suite of Spare CTD Sensors $281,478 $305,181 Broader Impacts

The principal impact of the present proposal is under Merit Review Criterion 2 of the Proposal Guidelines (NSF 19-602). It provides infrastructure support for scientists to use the vessel and its shared-use instrumentation in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF).

The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.