KETCHIKAN, ALASKA — NOAA awarded $99,637,544.00 to JAG Ketchikan, LLC, for expanded upgrades and maintenance on the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. The work is scheduled to occur over a 14-month period following the ship's 2027 field season.

JAG Ketchikan, LLC, is located in Ketchikan, Alaska. The NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow was commissioned in 2007 and is homeported in Newport, Rhode Island. It is one of NOAA’s 15 research vessels and studies marine life and ocean conditions along the U.S. East Coast. The ship's primary mission is to study and monitor fish stocks, conducting habitat assessments and surveying marine mammal and seabird populations from Maine to North Carolina.

The upgrades will include replacing the propulsion system with variable speed Tier 4 generators and installing lighter, more efficient motors. Comprehensive maintenance will involve replacing pumps, fans, cranes, the fire detection system, and radars. The project also aims to increase the number of single-person staterooms on the vessel.

NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., stated that the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow represents a vital part of NOAA’s fleet. He said these improvements would allow NOAA to meet its mission, enhance surveys, and support the science-based management of U.S. fisheries.

Rear Adm. Chad M. Cary, NOAA Corps director and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations assistant administrator, added that modernizing the shipboard technology will improve the Bigelow's efficiency and operational safety. He also said that the upgrades would ensure the research performed by the ship remains current. NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations operates a fleet that includes hydrographic survey, oceanographic research, and fisheries survey vessels, and works to maximize the service life of each vessel through long-term maintenance planning. Recently, NOAA Ship Pisces was modified to conduct bottom trawling operations typically performed by the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow.

Why It Matters

The funding allocated for the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow upgrades and maintenance represents a long-term investment in U.S. marine research capabilities. The improvements are intended to extend the operational life and enhance the effectiveness of a key vessel in NOAA's fleet that is responsible for monitoring fish stocks, marine life, and ocean conditions along the East Coast. Scheduling the work after the 2027 field season allows continued research operations in the interim.