RV Meteor (1986)

The RV Meteor (also Meteor III) is a multidisciplinary research vessel operating mainly on the high sea. She is owned by the German state represented by its Federal Ministry of Education and Research and registered in Hamburg.

RV Meteor operates mainly in the areas of the Atlantic, the eastern Pacific, and the western Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean and the Baltic Seas. The current Meteor is the third German research vessel in a row sharing the same name, after GERMAN SURVEY SHIP Meteor and RV Meteor.

Until 2012, Meteor was operated by Bremerhaven based company F. Laeisz GmbH. Since January 2013 the ship has a new operator, Briese Schiffahrt in Leer. It can accommodate up to 30 scientists for work in 20 laboratories on the main deck.

A new ship named Meteor was ordered at Meyer Werft and Fassmer in 2022 to replace the Meteor and the Poseidon, which has already been retired, in 2026. The Keel was laid on 11 July 2023.