The authors review the need for a quiet fisheries research ship to protect and maintain fish stocks and marine mammals. The ship design, construction, and acquisition processes are presented in overview. The main mission of the Fisheries Research Vessel (FRV) depends greatly on acoustic sensor performance. A major concern in achieving maximum efficiency from modern acoustic sounders is the reduction of bubbles and the control of bubble sweepdown patterns that flow over the acoustic sensors. Design efforts related to problems on earlier ships are reviewed, including the extensive efforts undertaken to minimize bubble sweepdown on the T-AGS 60 PATHFINDER Class. The authors describe the application of earlier US Navy work to the design of NOAA's FRV 40 and how the design takes advantage of many previous hydrodynamic and ship design developments. A discussion of subsequent model tests to verify the design is included.
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