NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI - U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today announced that on October 17th, federal, state and local officials and the public will gather to celebrate the homecoming and homeporting of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) newest research vessel, Okeannos Explorer, at Quonset Point/Port of Davisville.

A deep-sea exploration ship, Okeanos will be homeported for the next decade at Pier One in the Port of Davisville. The facility includes 8,280 square feet of energy-efficient space for NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), which will contain office space for the ship's support staff and warehouse space.

Okeanos Explorer is 224 feet in length with a beam of 43 feet and a draft of 15 feet.  The ship can embark 46, including crewmembers and those assigned to mission support.

"We are pleased to officially welcome Okeanos Explorer and her crew and support staff to Rhode Island.   This research vessel will provide us with fascinating new information about our oceans and help keep Rhode Island on the cutting edge of ocean exploration and marine research.  Homeporting the ship at Quonset Point is a good deal for the federal government and will have a positive economic impact on our state," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) which oversees funding for NOAA.  

Reed secured over $23 million in federal funding to make Okeanos Explorer the first U.S. government ship dedicated solely to ocean exploration and to bring her home to Rhode Island.

The Okeanos will join the Endeavor, a smaller research vessel owned by the National Science Foundation and homeported in Narragansett at the URI Bay Campus and NOAA's Fishing Survey Vessel Henry Bigelow, which is currently located at Naval Station Newport.

Since its commissioning, the Okeanos has undertaken exploration missions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.