HMNZS Manawanui (A09) (Now Ocean Recovery)
HMNZS Manawanui (A09) was commissioned in 1988 as a diving support vessel for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Originally she was built as a diving support vessel, the Star Perseus, for North Sea oil rig operations. Manawanui is the third ship with this name to serve in the New Zealand Navy. Manawanui is a Māori word meaning “to be brave or steadfast”.
The vessel was decommissioned at Devonport Naval Base on February 23, 2018. In July 2018 the ship was sold to the Major Projects Group, an Australian demotions company, and has been renamed as the MV Ocean Recovery.
MV Ocean Recovery is owned by the Major Projects Foundation and carries out and supports conservation, research and education around issues of environment, sustainability and preservation affecting Australia, its coral reefs, the Pacific Ocean and its island communities. Their main focus is maritime archaeology and environmental science.
Major Projects Foundation researches: leaking oil content of wrecks, explosive remnants of war (sea mines), plastic in oceans, is a scientific work platform, training and education, industry and research partners, and is partnered with the University of Newcastle.
