Oscar Dyson

NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson was built by VT Halter Marine, Inc. in Moss Point, Mississippi. The ship was commissioned on May 28, 2005 and is currently homeported in Kodiak, Alaska. Oscar Dyson is the first in a class of ultra-quiet fisheries survey vessels built to collect data on fish populations, conduct marine mammal and seabird surveys, and study marine ecosystems. 

The 208-ft. ship primarily operates in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Oscar Dyson plays a major role gathering information on Alaska pollock, one of the world’s largest commercial fisheries. Scientists use acoustic echosounders to detect fish and invertebrates as the vessel moves. The reflected signal is used to estimate abundance and distribution.

Launched in 2003, the ship is named after Alaskan fisherman Oscar Dyson, a pioneer in Alaska’s fishing industry for half a century before his death in 1995. He was a well-known fishing activist and an industry advisor to the government who dedicated himself to improving the industry for Alaskans making their living at sea.