Thalassa
oceanographic research vessel

P3608.JPG (16536 octets)

Copyright Ifremer, 1996

In 1996, IFREMER launched a new fisheries research vessel :  Thalassa. It mainly cruises the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea. Several new technologies have been chosen to ensure optimal acoustic performances for the ship. The information processing system designed by IFREMER is a decisive step forward with the installation of a fully-digital local area network. It offers users easier access to all information available aboard, including images captured by the ship's numerous video cameras or its digital sensors, dedicated to fisheries sounders or navigation instruments.

Scientific equipments :

Scientific echo-sounders for fisheries research :

  • OSSIAN 1500 ( 38/200 kHz ),
  • OSSIAN 2500 ( 38 kHz ),
  • SIMRAD EK 500 ( 38/120 kHz ).

Multipurpose sounder and netsonde : OSSIAN 500 ( 12-49 kHz),
Long range multibeam sonar : SIMRAD SR 240,
Acoustic trawl positioning system from THOMSON SINTRA ASM : PACHA 2000 ( 16 kHz ),
Wireless trawl geometry system : SCANMAR ( 42 kHz ),
Current DOPPLER profiler : RDI 75 kHz,
Thermosalinograph : SEACAT SBE 21,
Bathythermograph : SIPPICAN MK12,

 

 Ship characteristics :

Officers and crew : 16 to 25,
Scientists : 25,
Length overall : 74.50 m,
Beam overall : 14.90 m,
Endurance : 45 days,
Loaded displacement : from 2300 t. to 2900 t.,
Diesel-electric engine,
Dynamic positioning system combines a silent six-blade propeller with two transversal propellers.

Four laboratories : hydrology, physics, clean(dry) chemistry, biology ( total area : 85 mē),
Scientific command room and computer room (70 mē),
Cruise command room (35 mē),
Automated fishing sorting hall (130 mē)