Gear and equipment
From mapping the seafloor at any depth, to collecting weather data in a 150 km radius around the ship, RV Investigator is an impressive research vessel.
Find out more about the gear and equipment available on voyages.
Deployable gear
The Marine National Facility provides ship users with access to an extensive range of equipment. In addition to the onboard systems on RV Investigator, we offer a suite of equipment that can be included on voyages.
Ship equipment
Acoustics and multibeam systems
RV Investigator has two mulltibeam swath bathymetry mapping systems, one designed for deep water, and one for shallow to mid depth water.
Cranes
RV Investigator is equipped with a number of cranes providing access and service to each deck and compartment at sea or in port.
Drop keels
The drop keels - deployed through a moon pool in the ship - contain a variety of scientific equipment.
Gondola
The ship's gondola, located 1.2 m below the ship's hull, is a steel housing unit that contains advanced sonar technology.
Weather radar
RV Investigator's weather radar records the first data from oceans around Australia. This data is used to improve climate models and weather predictions for Australia.
Echosounders
The ship's acoustics consist of a scientific echo sounder, a high definition fish finding sonar and a scientific multibeam echo sounder.
Sub-bottom profiler
The sub-bottom profiler emits an acoustic signal that penetrates sand and loose sediments. The return signal images the layers of mud, sand and rock below seabed.
Winches
The ship is equipped with a variety of winches to support scientific missions.