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Nancy Foster, one of the most operationally diverse platforms in the NOAA fleet, was originally built as a Navy yard torpedo test (YTT) craft. In 2001, the Navy transferred the vessel to NOAA who outfitted the ship to conduct coastal research along the U.S. Atlantic/Gulf coasts, and the Caribbean. Nancy Foster is named for Dr. Nancy Foster, in tribute to her outstanding contributions in advancing NOAA's mission through her leadership within the National Marine Fisheries Service and National Ocean Service from 1986 until 2000. Nancy Foster supports applied research for NOAA's National Ocean Service and Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Operations include the characterization of habitats in our nation's National Marine Sanctuaries and coastal waters, water quality studies, maritime heritage surveys, and coral reef assessments. The vessel employs state of the art navigation and propulsion systems resulting in high quality and efficient data collection with cutting edge technology including high resolution multibeam sonars, split beam sonars, and an array of water quality sensors and CTDs. Additional capabilities include water, sediment, and core sampling, sub-bottom profiling, diving with air and NITROX, ROV and AUV operations, small boat operations and servicing oceanographic/atmospheric surface and subsurface buoys..