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Nautical Reunion

In the 1950s and 60s it was rare to see four WHOI-operated ships docked at the same time in Woods Hole, their home port. The vessels, normally ranging around the world supporting oceanographic research, included (left) Atlantis, the first open-ocean research vessel operated by WHOI, and Chain (behind Atlantis), which was used in the Pacific before arriving at WHOI in 1958. Bear (center, with dark hull) was purchased by WHOI in 1952, after a stint in World War II as a troop carrier and supply vessel. Crawford (right) was a U.S. Coast Guard cutter that came to WHOI in 1956. More photos of WHOI vessels, past and present, are featured in the 2012 WHOI wall calendar.(Photo courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Archives)