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Multi-purpose Ships

Research vessels Crawford, Atlantis, and Gosnold tied up to the WHOI dock 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. It was renamed Gosnold in honor of the 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 remains the Institution’s symbol and is the namesake of the current R/V Atlantis, as well as the since-retired Atlantis II, and the space shuttle Atlantis.(Photo by Jan Hahn, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)