Those of us who work and live aboard research vessels know that many of them are owned by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and operated by oceanographic institutions such as Scripps, Wood’s Hole, and the University of Washington. ONR is a division of the United States Navy that, after World War II, funded the AGOR (Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research) fleet of research vessels. Here at SIO, the R/Vs Thomas Washington, Melville, Roger Revelle, and Sally Ride have all been ONR-funded AGOR ships. It’s been a long and fruitful partnership. As then-Chief of Naval Research Rear Admiral Mathias Winter said during Sally Ride‘s commissioning ceremony in October, “The best ships in the Navy are partnerships.”

ONR videographer John and writer Warren interview Chief Scientist Maddie.

Members of ONR’s public affairs office sailed on Sally Ride‘s most recent voyage, where Scripps scientists recovered moorings from near Catalina Island and in the La Jolla Canyon. It is always great to have new people aboard, asking questions and seeing everything with fresh eyes. Warren and John were great additions to the trip, and everyone on board was eager to be interviewed about the crucial contributions to science that ONR funding fosters.

Below are three video segments that were produced during the three day cruise,  highlighting the co-Chief Scientists – research scientist Ana Sirovic and graduate student Maddie Hamann – as well as the crew onboard R/V Sally Ride.