OCEARCH’s Great White Shark Research Vessel Undergoes Major 10-Year Refit with JMR (Jacksonville Machine & Repair)
Comprehensive maintenance and repair work will help ensure the one-of-a-kind vessel remains ready to support OCEARCH’s global ocean research mission for years to come.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — OCEARCH’s ship is undergoing its 10-year refit with Jacksonville Machine & Repair (JMR), marking a significant investment in the long-term safety, reliability, and mission readiness of the vessel.
The refit is an important milestone for OCEARCH. As the organization’s primary research vessel, the ship serves as a unique at-sea laboratory and mothership for multidisciplinary ocean research, including the live capture, tagging, study, and release of large marine animals such as great white sharks.
The OCEARCH ship was originally built in 1990 as a fishing support and Alaska crabbing vessel, the approximately 126-foot, 433-gross-ton ship was later transformed into a highly specialized platform for marine research. Its custom hydraulic lift platform can safely raise as much as 75,000 pounds, making light work of lifting large 20 foot 4,000 great white sharks for study and scientific examinations during research expeditions.
During a typical multi-week expedition, the OCEARCH ship serves not only as a platform for research but also as a home and workplace for multiple scientists, ship crew members, and OCEARCH staff. Researchers and veterinarians use the vessel to collect biological samples and attach acoustic and satellite tags, often completing the work in approximately 15 minutes before releasing the animal back into the ocean. With so many people living and working aboard in close quarters and conducting complex operations at sea, safety is essential at every stage of an expedition. Data collected aboard the OCEARCH contributes to open-source tools such as the Global Shark Tracker™, helping advance scientific understanding, public education, and conservation efforts.
JMR is supporting the refit with a broad range of ship repair, maintenance, fabrication, and inspection capabilities. The work draws on the company’s experience in:
- Mechanical repairs and overhauls for main and auxiliary engines
- Shaft alignment, bearing, pump, valve, and compressor maintenance
- Pipefitting and fabrication for ballast, fuel, lube oil, and hydraulic systems
- Hull plating, bulkhead, frame, and deck structural repairs
- Certified welding and steel and aluminum fabrication
- Marine electrical, power distribution, generator, and control-system service
- Surface preparation, corrosion control, and marine coatings
- Marine and industrial insulation, including fire-rated systems
- Rigging, lifting, equipment installation, and load testing
- Destructive testing, hull thickness gauging, and weld inspection
- Precision machining and water jet cutting for custom marine components
Overseeing the project is OCEARCH Captain John Van Dellen. He brings decades of experience captaining vessels and managing new builds and rebuilds of multi-vessel mothership operations around the world.
“Being able to bring OCEARCH to JMR and work with their team through this extensive 10-year refit process has been an incredibly rewarding experience so far. It has also been a great opportunity to strengthen our relationships within the Jacksonville maritime community. Said OCEARCH Captain, John Van Dellen. OCEARCH is a very unique vessel, and a project of this scope and diversity takes a talented and dedicated team. I’m confident that the work being done here by the JMR team will help ensure the safety, reliability, and productivity of our crew and research teams on the water for many years to come.”
“JMR is honored to support OCEARCH and the important work being carried out aboard the M/V OCEARCH,” said Erin Snyder, JMR General Manager. “Our team takes great pride in providing dependable, high-quality ship repair and maintenance services that help ensure the vessel remains safe, efficient, and ready to carry out its mission.”
Located in Jacksonville, Florida, JMR operates an 18-acre industrial facility with approximately 2,200 linear feet of waterfront bulkhead, deepwater access via the St. Johns River, and extensive space for vessel staging, heavy-lift operations, fabrication, and repair. The company provides dockside and afloat repairs, voyage and emergency response, fabrication, machining, inspection, and 24/7 field service capabilities.
The OCEARCH ship will return to its home dock in Mayport following completion of the refit and associated inspections, helping prepare the vessel for upcoming expeditions in 2027 and continued collaboration among researchers, veterinarians, educators, and conservation partners in Jacksonville, Florida, and around the world.
About Jacksonville Machine & Repair
Jacksonville Machine & Repair (JMR) provides ship repair, maintenance, machining, fabrication, inspection, and marine industrial services. Its capabilities include mechanical and structural repair, pipefitting, certified welding, electrical systems, coatings, insulation, rigging, non-destructive testing, and precision water jet cutting. JMR is located at 1901 Hill Street in Jacksonville, Florida.
For more information, visit www.jaxmachine.com
