Page 18: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2018)

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Cammell Laird

RRS Sir David Attenborough

RRS Sir David

Aka “Boaty McBoatface”

Attenborough

As the subsea industry collectively 2019. RRS Sir David Attenborough government’s largest investment in po- turns its attention to unmanned, autono- drew global attention before she was lar science since the 1980s.

mous vehicles to provide a consistency even named, as a public contest to name “Britain began exploring the Antarctic of presence and economy of scale that the vessel arrived on “Boaty McBoat- over a century ago when it seemed to be is unmatched by manned operations, face.” While authorities eventually set- an empty wilderness of little importance

MTR thought it appropriate to go ‘old tled on the more appropriate RRS Sir to the world as a whole,” said Sir David school’ on number eight with a nod to David Attenborough – named for the Attenborough. “Now we recognize that

Cammell Laird shipyard, the U.K. Natu- famed naturalist and television person- what happens at the Poles is of the great- ral Environment Research Council and ality, dubbed ‘the father of the modern est importance to everyone, everywhere.

British Antarctic Survey courtesy of its nature documentary’ – the vessel will The U.K. and the British Antarctic state-of-the-art polar research ship, the carry an AUV named Boaty McBoat- Survey have been making discoveries in 129-m, 10,000-ton RRS Sir David At- face. The new research ship is part of a both regions that enable us to better un- tenborough. Government polar infrastructure invest- derstand these global processes and this

The vessel is still under construction, ment program designed to keep Britain wonderful new research ship will enable but recently passed a major milestone at the forefront of world-leading re- British scientists to continue their cru- when hull number 1390 was launched, search in Antarctica and the Arctic. cial work in both the Arctic and Antarc- scheduled to come into operation in The commitment represents the U.K. tic for decades to come.”

July/August 2018 18 MTR

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