Visit by Research Vessel “Sonne” in New Zealand

Enlarge image The "Sonne" (English: sun) is a German Oceanographic Research Vessel based in Bremen equipped to sample the Ocean bed by drilling and recently has also carried her own submersible. The vessel traverses the world’s oceans in the framework of diverse geological oceanic projects, but during the past years, it has been travelling mainly in the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. Equipped with winding mechanisms, cranes, sonar and echo sounding equipment and 18 laboratories, it has completed well over 200 voyages so far.

In 1998, as part of the United Nations International Year of the Ocean, she voyaged to the South West Pacific where she undertook drilling and other sedimentary sampling around New Zealand, in the Great Southern Basin and on the Chatham Islands.

The “Sonne” continues to travel the seas in the pursuit of investigating the dynamics of the oceanic environment and the ocean floor which covers more than 70% of the planet. On her most recent trip, the “Sonne” docked in Wellington from 7 to 11 March and in Auckland Harbour from 21 to 25 April from where she will travel via Townsville, Madang and Macassar to Singapore.

More info at: http://www.bgr.de/fs_sonne/