Open Fleet Day 2026: A peek inside our new research fleet

Department

A large crowd gathers in the operating room of the

Quite a crowd in the operating room or RV Anna Weber-van Bosse

With the christening of the RV Anna Weber-van Bosse, our completely new-built research fleet is now ready for action. And what better way to inaugurate the fleet than with an Open Fleet Day! As it is quite a rare occasion to have the entire research fleet present in our harbor, on Saturday 14 March, we opened our doors to the public to take a look inside all three vessels and meet the crew and scientists behind our research missions.

Throughout the day, the RV Adriaen Coenen, the RV Wim Wolff, and the RV Anna Weber-van Bosse were a bit more crowded than usual, with 1,500 people visiting the NIOZ harbor. From the machine room with its large engines to the different onboard labs where scientists collect their samples and data, young and old had the opportunity to imagine what it is like to be a scientist studying the ocean or a crew member sailing to far horizons.

In the large pavilion, visitors had the chance to learn about different disciplines. Whether they were interested in bird tracking around the Wadden Sea or deep-sea robotics collecting data autonomously, scientists from all departments within NIOZ were present to inspire, educate, and answer all kinds of original questions.

Between time slots, Andrea Kieskamp, author of the book 'In lange rok de koraalriffen op', told the story

of Anna Weber-van Bosse, the first Dutch female scientist to receive an honorary award for her scientific achievements. Going back to the early 1900s, she explained what it was like to live aboard a research vessel traveling to Indonesia as the only female scientist at that time. She also described how Anna Weber-van Bosse created a legacy with her research on algae and how she worked together with the Zoological Station on Texel (now NIOZ) from its very early beginnings.
Andrea Kieskamp reading from her book on stage in front of a crowd

Andrea Kieskamp during one of her lectures on the life of Anna Weber-van Bosse

We would like to thank all the visitors who came by, the crew on board who opened their doors to the public, and everyone who volunteered during the event. New horizons ahead!

All photos by Evalien Weterings for NIOZ