RV Pelican was built in 1985 as an oceanographic research vessel and is operated by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON). The vessel has four laboratories and can support 16 scientists for periods up to three weeks.^[1] In May 2010, it was one of the first scientific vessels to arrive at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to begin the process of characterizing the extent and consequences of the spill.^[2]

History
United States
Name	RV Pelican
Completed	1985
Identification	IMO number: 8517009 MMSI number: 367652000 Callsign: WDD6114
Status	in service
General characteristics
Tonnage	514.59 LTSW tons
Length	116 ft 4 in (35.46 m) (overall)
Beam	26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Draught	9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) (full load)
Speed	9.2 kts
Range	3,490 miles
Notes	ship specifications. In 2003, the RV Pelican underwent a refit upgrading most of the scientific equipment on board and adding another ten feet to the stern.