Billionaire Ray Dalio bought the boat in 2016. It was an oil ship at the time and he and his son Mark Dalio spent the next four years transforming it into a one-of-a-kind research vessel capable of real-time scientific analysis. Experts from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution consulted to ensure scientists would have everything they needed on board.
For example, it might take a typical research vehicle several years to get DNA sequencing results back and then return to the same location equipped with that data.
With OceanXplorer’s onboard lab, researchers can collect samples, process the data in real-time, and then make informed decisions based on what they find.
“We feel like it’s a lot more efficient,” said Mark Dalio, co-CEO of OceanX, the company that owns OceanXplorer.