Marine Program Adds New Research Boat

June 2, 2014

Don't call her pretty — she's beautiful. Named after Professor Emeritus Tom L. Richards, Cal Poly's new research vessel took its maiden voyage winter quarter. The researchers on board were 36 undergraduates from Biology 328 Marine Ecology.

With a range of more than 200 miles, the Richards opens up entire new ecosystems for Cal Poly students to study. Research teams can now go as far south as the Channel Islands and access remote areas in Big Sur. And they don't have to wait for the rare calm day to do it — the Richards can handle significant chop in the ocean.

"The Richards changes the sorts of questions our students can ask," said Dean Wendt, associate dean of the college and interim director of Cal Poly's Center for Coastal Marine Sciences. "It enables our students and faculty to explore the most remote part of the California coastline."

Other research-friendly features include live wells for transporting fish and enough room to accommodate an entire team of divers when before only one or two could go out at a time. "The Richards significantly increases our capacity as a marine program," Wendt said.

Though the marine ecology class stayed close to home in the Morro Bay harbor area, they learned a number of practices that are important to any marine scientist. They not only tested the conductivity, temperature and depth of the ocean but also learned how to properly tie up and protect the scientific instrumentation.

"This is what I'd actually be doing. It's a wonderful opportunity to gain skills that I'll use later," said Lara Slatoff, a biology major with a marine concentration. "It's an opportunity I don't think I'd have gotten if I didn't go to Cal Poly."