The vessel features over 700 sq/ft of working space on the aft deck, with a complete complement of working gear and an extensive grid of deck sockets which allow equipment to be easily secured, moved, or removed. AAM custom fabricated twin dive benches which mount via the deck sockets and accommodate a total of 20 divers with gear. The working deck also contains a Morgan Marine articulating knuckle crane and a hydraulically actuated 'A' frame of 4,500 pounds SWL. A Markey Machinery Com-7H scientific winch and a Kinematics Marine hydraulic trawl winch are mounted on the upper deck.

In addition to being a platform for exploring the sanctuary and surrounding waters, the Manta will also serve both as a patrol vessel to enforce sanctuary regulations and a floating classroom. Teachers will be regular visitors aboard the Manta to watch and learn as scientists conduct research.

RV Manta is powered by twin caterpillar C32 ACEERT engines, each delivering 1,600 bhp at 2,300 rpm driving Hamilton HM 571 waterjets through ZF 3050 gearboxes. A 3,600 gallon fuel capacity gives a range of 650 nautical miles.

'With the Manta, we will be able to study the sanctuary more intensively, protect it more effectively, and share its wonders with more people than ever before, said G.P. Schmahl, the sanctuary's superintendent. 'The vessel's capabilities are as diverse as the sanctuary itself.'

Located 115 miles off the Texas/Louisiana coast, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is one of 14 marine protected areas managed by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The sanctuary includes the two northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States, sponge communities, and other habitats.

Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.