All News Releases By Date

Public is Invited to Tour EPA's Ocean Survey Vessel in Rhode Island

Release Date: 05/02/2001
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042)

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ocean survey vessel, the Peter W. Anderson, will be open for free tours on Saturday and Sunday, May 12 and 13, in Narragansett, RI.

The Anderson will be docked at the Endeavor Pier at the University of Rhode Island's Narrragansett Bay Campus.

For tours on Saturday, May 12, signs will direct visitors first to URI's Coastal Institute Building, where tours will start at 10 am; 11:10 am; 1:30 pm and 2:40 pm, with a short greeting. This will be followed by an overview of the ship and then a short, escorted walk to the Anderson.

On Sunday, tours will be scheduled for every 30 minutes between 1 and 4 pm. Visitors will be able to go directly to the Endeavor pier to tour the ship.

Launched in 1966, the Anderson is used for conducting surveys all along the U.S. coastline. The vessel is a floating scientific facility, complete with chemistry and microbiology laboratories, a wet lab for biological sample processing, an underwater video camera system, a sonar system to profile the sea floor and custom-made equipment designed to sample the ocean water from top to bottom.

The physical layout of the Anderson includes narrow doorways and steep stairs. Rubber sole footwear is encouraged. A map and directions to URI's Narrangasett Bay Campus are available at: http://gso.uri.edu/campusmap.html . For more information, call EPA's Al Wong at 617-918-1596.