Sir John Murray

Sir John Murray seen here in Leith Docks (Scotland) on 16th May 2009.

Owned by SEPA - Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
http://www.sepa.org....ies/marine.aspx

"SEPA's fleet consists of our flagship vessel the Sir John Murray, and six smaller boats. The Sir John Murray is a 24-metre scientific survey vessel, a unique boat based on a proven steel hull design. It is designed to meet the needs of SEPA's marine scientific commitments, with two deck-level laboratories and a range of mechanical and electronic sampling gear. To support our work in near-shore water areas, there is also a range of smaller, trailerable boats that are used to collect samples.
The Sir John Murray is designed to operate all year round, anywhere on Scotland's coast and islands as far away as Shetland. She is equipped to carry a team of scientific staff, chemists and biologists, who measure and monitor water quality using a wide range of scientific methods. Equipment carried on board includes underwater camera systems and grabs for collecting sediments. An automated water sampling system has also been installed, which can measure and log a sample of water every six minutes. This facilitates the collection of very precise information about the quality of water around our coast.

The vessel is also equipped with a comprehensive array of navigation and position-fixing equipment, including a Global Positioning System (GPS), radar, sonar, radio and fish finding equipment. These are all used to collect data on fish stocks, and potential problems that may occur due to inputs of chemical substances into the marine environment."