Invertebrate Collections made by R/V Velero III, IV, Atlantic, and Hubbs

Between 1931 and 1941, the Research Vessel Velero III (R/V Velero III) of the Allan Hancock Foundation (AHF) at the University of Southern California, completed ten major ocean science voyages, primarily focusing on the collection of marine organisms along the Pacific coast stretching from San Francisco to Peru. Equipped with a variety of gear including specialized deep-sea dredging apparatus, collections could be made down to depths of 7,000 feet, allowing scientists to sample a wide range of benthic environments and analyze the myriad specimens brought to the surface. R/V Velero III's impressive range and capacity enabled extended expeditions, lasting several months at a time. In addition to its extensive work along the mainland coast, R/V Velero III also explored the California Channel Islands, leading to valuable collections and subsequent scientific publications. Notable expeditions included the 1939 voyage to the Caribbean, explorations of the Galapagos Islands, and the 1940 expedition into the Gulf of California. The R/V Velero III sampled 1,436 stations until November 18, 1941, after which it was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy. AHF researchers subsequently made shore collections from Coos Bay, Oregon to Western Mexico, catalogued as Velero stations. In January 1948, the R/V Velero IV was launched. The R/V Velero IV collected stations 1605-48 to 31788-85, primarily in California and Mexico, with the last station collected on June 21, 1985.

Citation: Wetzer R, Westover V, Wall J, Wall A, Pentcheff N D, Omura K, Haymaker C, Harris L, Barve V (2025). Invertebrate Collections made by R/V Velero III, IV, Atlantic, and Hubbs. Version 1.12. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Samplingevent dataset. https://ipt.vertnet.org/resource?r=lacm_velero&v=1.12

Published: November 19, 2025 at 19:44

License: To the extent possible under law, the publisher has waived all rights to these data and has dedicated them to the Public Domain (CC0 1.0)

URL: https://ipt.vertnet.org/resource?r=lacm_velero