RI officials break ground on home for science ship

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.—Construction will soon begin on a new North Kingstown headquarters for an ocean research ship.

State officials gathered Monday at Quonset Point to celebrate the upcoming construction of an 8,400 square-foot headquarters for the Okeanos Explorer, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Explorer is a former Navy surveillance ship that was converted into a research vessel. It’s the first federal ship dedicated solely to scientific exploration.

It’s expected to dock sometime after its sea trials are complete, though it’s not clear when that will be.

State officials had lobbied to base the vessel close to the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.