Gulf Coast Research Lab Retires R/V Tom McIlwain

By on April 13, 2016
The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory recently retired the R/V Tom McIlwain. (Credit: University of Southern Mississippi)

The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory recently retired the R/V Tom McIlwain. (Credit: University of Southern Mississippi)


The University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) recently retired the R/V Tom McIlwain with a ceremony aboard the vessel in Biloxi, Miss., according to a release.

Officials at the university say that the research vessel supported nearly 10,000 students going out on trips over the years. They are surprised at how long the boat was able to keep carrying out its mission over the years, considering it was built in 1978 and that parts for its upkeep became increasingly difficult to find.

The vessel was named after former GCRL Director Tom McIlwain, who died in 2012. McIlwain spent more than 50 years in the field of marine fisheries sciences and all but nine of those years were with the GCRL.

Top image: The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory recently retired the R/V Tom McIlwain. (Credit: University of Southern Mississippi)

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