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.

1931年至1941年间，南加州大学艾伦·汉考克基金会（Allan Hancock Foundation，AHF）的“维莱罗三世号”研究船（R/V Velero III）完成了十次大型海洋科学科考航次，核心任务为在旧金山至秘鲁沿线的太平洋沿岸海域采集海洋生物标本。该船配备了包括专用深海拖网采样装置在内的多种科考作业设备，可下潜至7000英尺深度开展采样作业，使得科研人员能够对多样的底栖环境进行取样，并对打捞上岸的海量标本开展分析。“维莱罗三世号”优异的续航范围与作业能力，支持其单次航次即可开展长达数月的长期科考。除沿北美大陆沿岸完成大量科考工作外，该船还对加利福尼亚海峡群岛进行了考察，获取了极具科研价值的标本收藏，并促成了后续的学术研究成果发表。其中标志性科考航次包括1939年加勒比海航行、加拉帕戈斯群岛考察，以及1940年的加利福尼亚湾科考任务。截至1941年11月18日，“维莱罗三世号”已完成1436个采样站位的作业，此后该船被美国海军征用。此后，艾伦·汉考克基金会的研究人员在从俄勒冈州库斯湾至墨西哥西部的沿岸区域开展岸基标本采集工作，相关采样站位被编目为“维莱罗站位”（Velero stations）。1948年1月，“维莱罗四世号”（R/V Velero IV）正式下水。该船完成了编号1605-48至31788-85的采样站位采集工作，作业区域主要集中在加利福尼亚与墨西哥海域，最后一个采样站位的作业完成时间为1985年6月21日。