R/V Sturgeon Christening & Commissioning Program

The U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) celebrated the christening and commissioning of the Research Vessel (R/V) Sturgeon on August 12, 2004 in Cheboygan, Michigan. Two important milestones in the life of any ship are the christening and commissioning. A ship is traditionally christened or given its name at the time it is launched into the water. When a ship is christened, a bottle of liquid such as champagne is broken across the ship’s bow. The commissioning ceremony marks the beginning of a vessel’s life at sea.

The R/V Sturgeon is the newest ship to be added to the current GLSC fleet of 4 research vessels that are used to conduct fisheries and aquatic research across the Great Lakes basin. The R/V Sturgeon is a valuable addition to the GLSC vessel program. The 101-foot vessel is designed to operate with a crew of three and can support a scientific staff of seven for up to a 15-day mission. The R/V Sturgeon includes all of the necessary features to support a wide variety of aquatic science projects in the open waters of the Great Lakes. It uses state-of-the-art electronic navigational and scientific equipment as well as traditional sampling gear such as bottom trawls and gillnets. The R/V Sturgeon is currently stationed at the Cheboygan Vessel Base in Cheboygan, Michigan.

The primary mission of the R/V Sturgeon is to support fisheries related science in Lakes Michigan and Huron. Specifically, the R/V Sturgeon will aid our key science programs in Deepwater Science, Restoration Ecology, and Invasive Species. For over 30 years the GLSC has provided information on prey fish populations, such as alewife, rainbow smelt, bloater, and sculpin. This information helps state, tribal, and federal managers to make better-informed management decisions for top fish predators (e.g., lake trout, Pacific salmon, and other sport and commercial fish species) that feed on these prey fish. We also provide scientific information for the evaluation of management strategies to restore native fish species such as lake trout and to combat invasive species such as sea lamprey.

The mission of the Great Lakes Science Center is to advance scientific knowledge and provide scientific information to resource managers for restoring, enhancing, managing, and protecting the living resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. The GLSC is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan with eight field stations strategically located throughout the Great Lakes region.

The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.