NOAA Fisheries Survey Vessel Named for Harvard Researcher

Jul. 9–MOSS POINT — During his 62 years as a Harvard researcher, Henry B. Bigelow led sea voyages and international summits, published extensive studies and helped found the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

But what he wanted, jokingly, in appreciation for his years at Harvard, was a bottle of bourbon whiskey from the university’s board. A short while after he made the remark in 1960, a bottle of bourbon whiskey was delivered to his door.

Bigelow died in 1967 but his legacy as a pioneering ocean researcher lives on as the namesake for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s newest fisheries-survey vessel, which was christened and launched Friday at VT Halter Marine.

Fredrick “Tuck” Bigelow, Bigelow’s grandson, said seeing his grandfather’s name on the stern was very emotional time for him.

“My grandfather was a proponent of field study and firsthand experience,” Tuck Bigelow said. “It’s my hope that this ship provides that platform for scientists.”

The Henry B. Bigelow will replace the 43-year-old ship, the Albatross, which has studied the waters of the northeast Atlantic.

The Henry B. Bigelow is the second of four new NOAA survey ships and establishes a new benchmark for a modernized fleet, with an advanced sonar system and quiet hull. The ship’s quiet hull allows the scientists to study more marine populations without disrupting them.

Conrad Lautenbacher Jr., undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA administrator, said the ship’s capabilities would lead to sustainable environments and strengthen economic security for the nation’s fishing industry.

“It takes the United States from the bottom of the list in our ability to manage our oceans and our coasts,” Lautenbacher said. “The potential of this ship and the scientists who sail on it is unlimited.”

As guest speaker, U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor said he wished he could have met Bigelow because of his humor. He presented Tuck Bigelow with a bottle of Jim Beam whiskey.

“The research that will be conducted on this vessel under NOAA is extremely important to enhancing our nation’s economic security and the safety of our nation’s coastal marine resources. The mission of protecting fisheries was a big part of the life work of Henry B. Bigelow.”

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