Ships travel past Southport along the Cape Fear River all the time, and it’s not uncommon to see crowds gather at the city’s waterfront to get a look.

On Thursday, ship watchers were treated to something a bit different as the Nancy Foster, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel, anchored just offshore.

Here’s what we know about it.

Why is the ship in the Southport area?

According to Keeley Belva, public affairs specialist for NOAA, the Nancy Foster “waiting out some weather.”

“The ship has been working in the vicinity of Frying Pan Shoals doing habitat assessment related to some wind energy leases that were issued in 2022,” Belva added.

Weather update: Risk of rip currents for NC coast as low pressure sits offshore

What kind of ship is it?

According to NOAA’s webpage for the ship, the Nancy Foster was built in Louisiana and commissioned on May 10, 2004. Originally built as a U.S. Navy yard torpedo test vessel, the ship was later transferred to NOAA, which converted it to a research vessel.

What kind of equipment does it carry?

The webpage states the 187-foot Nancy Foster is equipped with “single beam and multibeam echo sounders as well as an echo sounder system for fish stock assessment,” and it “carries a thermosalinograph – -a tool that measures water temperature and salinity — and other technologies that allow scientists to sample water and sediment.”

“The ship’s dynamic positioning technology allows for more exact deployment of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles,” the webpage states.

It also is equipped with tow nets, carries four different small boats to conduct small boat operations, and has both “wet and dry laboratories as well as computers for data acquisition and analysis.”

Where is its homeport?

According to the NOAA webpage, the homeport for the vessel is in Charleston, S.C.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: NOAA research vessel seen off coast of Southport, NC