Office of Marine Operations

Overview

The Office of Marine Operations (OMO) operates Lamont-Doherty’s Research Vessel Marcus G. Langseth, which serves as the national seismic research facility for the United States academic research community. Scientists and researchers from all over the world participate in research programs aboard the Langseth to understand climate variations, our oceans, and submarine volcanoes.

The Langseth's unique seismic capability allows it to provide both 2D and 3D maps of the Earth's structure miles below the seafloor. Utilizing the vessel's other capabilities, expeditions have collected sediment cores for understanding climate variations throughout the Earth’s history, sampled seawater for determining physical and chemical properties of the oceans, and deployed remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for studying submarine volcanoes.

The Langseth is a part of University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), an organization of 59 academic institutions and National Laboratories involved in oceanographic research and joined for the purpose of coordinating oceanographic ships' schedules and research facilities.

At Sea with the Research Vessel Marcus G. Langseth