Image

A Tale of Three Ships

December 1, 2018

The WHOI research vessels Crawford, Atlantis, and Gosnold (left to right) were all in Woods Hole, Mass., on this warm day in 1963. The Crawford, a 125-foot Coast Guard cutter acquired in 1956, was mainly used for working on hydrographic stations, in long line fishing studies, and in surveying. In 1962, WHOI purchased a coastal cargo ship named Explorer from a marine salvage yard and later renamed it Gosnold in honor of captain Bartholomew Gosnold, the first European to land and settle in Woods Hole. Atlantis was the first ship built specifically for interdisciplinary research in marine biology, marine geology, and physical oceanography. It is the namesake of the current R/V Atlantis, the retired Atlantis II, and the space shuttle Atlantis, and remains the symbol of Institution. (Photo by Jan Hahn, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)