What kind of ship is ATLANTIC EXPLORER?

ATLANTIC EXPLORER is a research vessel sailing under the flag of United States, built in 1982. The vessel is 52 m long and has a gross tonnage of 861.

Who is recorded as the owner or manager of ATLANTIC EXPLORER?

Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences is recorded as Registered owner for ATLANTIC EXPLORER (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.

What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for ATLANTIC EXPLORER?

Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for ATLANTIC EXPLORER from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels and the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for ATLANTIC EXPLORER. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

ATLANTIC EXPLORER

Research vessel · United States · built 1982 · AIS Class A

IMO8120014MMSI303591000Call signWDC9417Last AIS position Sep 22, 2026, 18:14 UTC

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In short

ATLANTIC EXPLORER (Research vessel, United States flag) was last seen on AIS on Sep 22, 2026, 18:14 UTC, under way at 5.9 kn, near Charleston (North Atlantic Ocean). Voydar has no more recent AIS position for this ship. Its current location cannot be established from this report. Registered owner: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (source: Wikidata).

Vessel type: Research vessel
Flag: United States
Year built: 1982
Gross tonnage: 861
Size (length × beam): 52 m
Registered owner: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

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Photo of RV Atlantic Explorer — Photo: Twardman · Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Last reported position

received Sep 22, 2026, 18:14 UTC

Position: 32.8561° N, 79.9503° W
Area: North Atlantic Ocean
StatusWhat do AIS statuses mean?: Under way using engine
Speed: 5.9 kn
Course: 108°
Heading: 110°

32.8561° N, 79.9503° W

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Voydar detected no port call in the last 30 days.

Port calls are detected by Voydar from AIS (at least 30 minutes slow inside a harbour area); see Port calls below.

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Identity & particulars

Name: ATLANTIC EXPLORER
IMO numberWhat is an IMO number?: 8120014
MMSIWhat is an MMSI?: 303591000
Call signWhat is a call sign?: WDC9417
Flag: United States
Vessel type: Research vessel
AIS ship type: Other
Gross tonnageGross tonnage vs deadweight: 861
Length overall: 52 m
Beam: —
Year built: 1982

A tag next to a value names the register that supplied it (hover or tap it for the record and date). Values without a tag come from the ship's own AIS broadcasts or from Wikidata. Position and identity are derived live from AIS.

Ownership & management

Each line shows where the fact comes from. Links backed by an identifier point to the company page.

Registered owner: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026
Operator: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Timeline

Dated events for this ship from every source Voydar holds, newest first. Each line names its source; derived items say how they were derived.

Date	Event	Source
Oct 7, 2012	Reported departure from San JuanAuthority-reported	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances

Owner, operator and manager changes found by comparing yearly EU MRV reports are dated to the reporting year ("during 2025"), not to a day. Port calls here are the most recent only; the full lists are further down.

Port calls

Two kinds of evidence, kept apart: calls Voydar detected from the ship's AIS positions, and arrivals and departures published by port authorities and customs records.

Reported by authorities Authority-reported

Port	Record	Date (UTC)	Berth	Source
San Juan PRSJU	Departure	Oct 7, 2012(date only)	—	USACE foreign traffic vessel entrances & clearances

Records published by the authority named on each row. Earliest record for this ship: October 7, 2012.

Source: US Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (US CBP entrance/clearance records). Licence: US Government work — public domain.

About ATLANTIC EXPLORER

RV Atlantic Explorer is a twin-screw ocean vessel. It is owned and operated by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in coordination with and as a part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. Atlantic Explorer is in compliance with US Coast Guard, UNOLS and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) regulations as an uninspected oceanographic research vessel and is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Its homeport is St. George's, Bermuda. The ship was constructed in 1982 as a Class III ocean-going environmental research vessel. In it was known as Seward Johnson II, owned by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and based in Ft. Pierce, Florida. BIOS purchased the vessel in October 2005, and modified it to better support the planned activities.

Summary from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked questions

Where is ATLANTIC EXPLORER now?: ATLANTIC EXPLORER (Research vessel, United States flag) was last seen on AIS on Sep 22, 2026, 18:14 UTC, under way at 5.9 kn, near Charleston (North Atlantic Ocean). Voydar has no more recent AIS position for this ship. Its current location cannot be established from this report.
What kind of ship is ATLANTIC EXPLORER?: ATLANTIC EXPLORER is a research vessel sailing under the flag of United States, built in 1982. The vessel is 52 m long and has a gross tonnage of 861.
Who is recorded as the owner or manager of ATLANTIC EXPLORER?: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences is recorded as Registered owner for ATLANTIC EXPLORER (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.
What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for ATLANTIC EXPLORER?: Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for ATLANTIC EXPLORER from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels and the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for ATLANTIC EXPLORER. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

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