Survey vessel launched

MOSS POINT, Miss. - VT Halter Marine launched the last in a line of government fisheries survey vessels Friday when the Bell M. Shimada was launched into the Escatawpa River. The fourth ship of its class, the Shimada is also the last that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration contracted VT Halter to build. The Shimada and its sister ships incorporate acoustic quieting technology that enables them to study fish and other marine life without making enough sound to alter their behavior. (Source: The Sun Herald, 09/27/08)