Texas A&M vessel loading up on beach-quality sand in Galveston.
Ship that’s designed for coastal research a boon for Galveston
GALVESTON — The erosionprone beaches in front of the Galveston seawall could be a little sandier thanks to the arrival of a new research vessel at Texas A&M University at Galveston.
The R/V Trident, which was brought into the Texas A&M boat basin a week ago, will allow scientists to hunt for deposits of beach quality sand, an effort that was much more difficult before the arrival of the specially designed research vessel.
‘Exciting for us’
Finding sand fit for rebuilding eroded beaches has long been a concern of the Texas General Land Office. The Trident is the first vessel owned by Texas A&M designed specifically for coastal research, said Timothy Dellapenna, professor of marine science and oceanography at Texas A&M Galveston.
“It’s really exciting for us,” Dellapenna said. “I’ve been here since 1999, and this is the first time we’ve had a research vessel.”
The expected arrival of the Trident allowed the Land Office to award Dellapenna a contract for finding beach quality sand deposits. Using a specially designed A-frame built into the stern deck, Dellapenna will lower equipment into the Gulf of Mexico that will take core samples.
Unlike Florida, where beachquality sand is plentiful, it is often hard to find in the muddy-bottomed Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Until the construction of the $2.5 million Trident, researchers like Dellapenna made do with a series of donated boats that were jury-rigged for use with scientific instruments. Dellapenna recalled surveying an island with a small boat that was unstable, making it difficult to take instrument readings. “It was very challenging work,” he said.
The 70-foot Trident is stable and built to accommodate instruments used by scientists. The Aframe is adaptable for use with different types of scientific hardware. Using grants, loan
Without the Trident, researchers would be forced to find enough money to rent the Manta, the research vessel owned by the Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary, at $6,000 per day.
Allan Post, who heads vessel operations for Texas A&M Galveston, cobbled together the money to purchase the Trident from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, a pollution reduction grant and a 20-year loan from the Texas A&M system.
Post expects the Trident to repay the loan through money from research grants.