RV Agassiz

Michigan Tech’s Premier Research Vessel

Situated along the banks of the Keweenaw Waterway—and connected to Lake Superior—Michigan Tech’s campus is a haven for freshwater science researchers. Providing ready access to the islands, open waters, and many embayments of Lake Superior, the RV Agassiz offers students, faculty, and staff from Michigan Tech, other universities, government laboratories, and industrial partners an opportunity to explore the science of this mighty natural resource.

Custom built for Michigan Tech in 2002, the 36-foot, aluminum-hulled RV Agassiz has a top cruising speed of 24 mph and a cruising distance of over 250 miles. With an array of on-board scientific equipment, heated pilot house, and electronic navigation tools, the RV Agassiz offers students and educators of all ages a state-of-the-art floating laboratory that can access even the most remote parts of Lake Superior. The RV Agassiz is operated by a licensed captain and can carry 19 additional passengers.

Whether studying lake sediment, fish populations, or plankton levels, the RV Agassiz serves as a bridge between Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center and Lake Superior itself—linking classroom principles with real-world applications.

Watch Learning on—and from—the Lake video

Learning on—and from—the Lake

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Transported on our state-of-the-art, floating laboratory—Research Vessel (RV) Agassiz—students, scientists, and educators study air and water quality in the Earth's largest freshwater ecosystem.