America's newest research vessel Sally Ride is making its way to its home port in San Diego, Calif. Operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and owned by the U.S. Navy, the vessel will perform its first research cruise in November after final installations of equipment and testing take place.
R/V Sally Ride is part of a line of research vessels that date back to 1907, when the ketch Alexander Agassiz was designed and built for the research needs of the Marine Biological Association that founded Scripps Oceanography. The fleet has supported global exploration ever since then and that history is celebrated in a new video welcoming Sally Ride.
Follow the ship's journeys on its blog authored by Scripps marine chemist Melissa Miller.
Related Video: UC San Diego Welcomes R/V Sally Ride