RV Bilim-2

The RV Bilim-2 is a Turkish research vessel owned by the Middle East Technical University in Ankara and operated in deep waters by its Institute of Marine Sciences based in Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey. She was built by Istanbul Naval Shipyard in Pendik, Istanbul and launched in 1983 as RV Bilim (Turkish for "Science"). In 2006, she was renamed Bilim-2. She is the institute's main ship beside its two other smaller wooden-hull research boats, the 1979-built RV Erdemli and the 1981-built RV Lamas-1. Bilim-2 is equipped with a hydraulic trawl winch of 7.5 tonnes and 2 x 1,500 m (4,900 ft) wire capacity and a hydraulic net winch of 6-tonne capacity for fisheries and marine biological investigations. Marine geological studies are conducted using a shallow seismic system of type EG&G Uniboom, side-scan sonars, and various corers. A remotely operated underwater camera (Mini Rover Benthos MK II) is also utilized in seafloor surveys.