Research vessel KBV 181

Collaboration project SWERVE

Ahead of 2025 and 2026, researchers will be able to apply for national funding for ship time on board six Swedish research vessels, including KBV 181. The call is made by the Swedish Research Vessel Infrastructure for Marine Research (SWERVE) through a grant from the Swedish Research Council. SWERVE includes research vessels from several of Sweden's higher education institutions, but also Oden from the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat and Ocean Surveyor from the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU).

Find more information about SWERVE

About the vessel

Owner: Swedish Coast Guard
Built: 1990, modernised 2021
Call sign: SBNX
MMSI: 265 044 000
Length: 56 m
Width: 10,2 m
Draft: 5,3 m
Displacement: 1140 tons
Cruise speed: 12 knop
Ice class: 1A
Crew: 7-10
Cabins available: 4 (8 berths)

Laboratories

Laboratories onboard the research vessel KBV 181. The vessel is used for research and environmental monitoring.

ImageAnna Palmbo Bergman

The vessel has about 30 m² laboratory space for biological and chemical analyses.

• CTD lab: 8 m²
• General lab: 17 m²
• Ferrybox lab: 4 m² 

Sensors onboard

Chemist Anna Palmbo Bergman, Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, lowers the rosette sampler into the sea. The rosette sampler consists of twelve water samplers that can be triggered individually at different water depths.

ImageMarlene Johansson

• CTD: Sea-Bird SBE 911 and rosette sampler SBE 32 (12 st 5 litres Niskin) with sensors for conductivity, temperature, oxygen, PAR.
• CTD: SBE 19plus with sensors for conductivity, temperature, oxygen, PAR.
• Weather station with air temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind, PAR.
• Ferrybox 4H-Jena with sensors för temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, turbidity, pH, pCO2. Water intake at 5 m depth.

Other equipment

Marine biologist Marléne Johansson, Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, mounts a flow meter on an zooplankton net that will soon be sent into the water for sampling.

ImageMartina Jeuthe

• Gemini corer
• Grab sampler, van Veen
• Scraper
• Plankton net, WP-2
• Nutrient analyzer
• Incubator för phytoplankton production
• Fume hoods for working with isotopes

Winches and cranes

Sampling of bottom sediments.

ImageMarlene Johansson

• CTD winch: 500m (6mm) wire
• Winch on deck: 300m (6mm) wire
• Winch in sampling container: 300m (6mm) wire
• Deck crane (aft): Palfinger PK 90002M, SWL 3600kg 15,7m/5550kg 7,0m
• Deck crane (bow): Palfinger PK 23500M, SWL 1120kg 14,4m/2100kg 6,4m
• Deck crane (center): Palfinger PK 18500M, SWL 700kg 14,5m/2100kg 6,4m

Deck

UMF carries out  water sampling for the environmental monitoring program. In the picture: Martina Jeuthe and Siv Huseby.

ImageMarlene Johansson

• Deck space ≈ 80 m²
• Container fittings (10’ or 20’)
• Lab container 20’ and sampling container 20’ (for sediment sampling) is available.
• Freeboard 1,5m