NARRAGANSETT, R.I. -- Endeavor is headed out to sea from URI's Bay Campus in Narragansett to Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
It's a voyage to find new information about the devastating earthquake and to help the Haitian people.
"Its combination with the delivery of supplies to Haiti makes it an especially interesting and important and worthwhile trip," said David farmer, dean of the URI Graduate School of Oceanography.
The trip is funded by a National Science Foundation grant of more than $700,000.
The ship will spend about two weeks conducting a scientific survey of the sea floor -- a mission that is far from a pleasure cruise.
"This is a seriously working ship that spends, very often, 30 days at sea between port to port, working 24/7. So, it's work," said Capt. Everett McMunn.
Scientists will look for geologic evidence of the recent earthquake. It's a unique chance to search for clues right after a major seismic event.
"What they are anxious to do is see all of the sediment and earthquake faults right after it happens. Because as storms come though and sediment fills in, it's going to change how it looks," said David Nelson, a marine technician.
Once the ship leaves Narragansett, the crew will pick up another team of scientists in Florida before docking in Port-Au-Prince.
But the scientific trip is also a humanitarian effort. The ship carries a crate filled with tents from Rhode Island-based Plan USA, a nonprofit group aimed at helping children around the world.
"There's about, I'd say, 50 tents in here, huge tents, that will be used for transitional classrooms, and will be probably the first classrooms set up in the affected areas in Haiti from the quake," spokeswoman Robin Costello said.
The goal is to learn more about the quake itself, and help those it affected at the same time.
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