On December 20, 1985, in the presence of the Shipyard Management, the authorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences, shipyard workers, and oceanographers, a ceremonial raising of the flag took place on the research vessel r/v Oceania and it was handed over to the owner – the Institute of Oceanology PAN in Sopot.
Oceania is a three-masted ship nearly 50 meters long and 9 meters wide. It is one of two research vessels in Poland. The first voyages took place at the beginning of 1986. That next year, r/v Oceania embarked on its first Arctic cruise, a tradition of continuous measurements, which we carry on to this day. Our ship spends over 250 days at sea per year.
Initially, r/v Oceania was a modern unit – equipped with elevators, laboratories, and research equipment adapted for deck work. There was also an experienced scientific team on board, comparable to the teams found on other research vessels.
The strength of Oceania was that it could perform a series of complex physico-chemical-biological measurements from its deck. Starting from numerous soundings, measurements of water temperature and salinity, sea currents, biogen concentration, inflow and penetration of light energy, primary production, and many others. From the beginning, Oceania was equipped with bathometers and WP-2 nets, not to mention specialized elevators.
However, over time our interests began to grow, and the ship remained the same. With the development of measurement technology and equipment, we equipped our Oceania with the latest devices for research not only hydrographic, rather hydrodynamic, biological, chemical, physical (including optical and aerosol), ecological, and even paleoceanographic.
Cruises are becoming more and more intense, the amount of equipment and work is increasing, as the demand for scientific work is growing. This is, after all, our greatest success and goal. Our Oceania is a symbol of continuous development and striving for excellence in oceanographic science.
