The ship was the first to be named through the "Name NOAA's New Ship" series of educational outreach contests, with the winning entry submitted by a team of five students: Crystal Lamott, Carrie McEwen, Crystal Syvinski, Maddie Dillon and Max Del Viscio from Winnacunnet High School in Hampton, New Hampshire, along with their marine biology teacher, Catherine Silver.

Her oceanographic hydrophones are mounted on a retractable centerboard, or drop keel, that lowers scientific transducers away from the region of hull-generated flow noise, enhancing the quality of the data collected.

To take full advantage of these advanced data-gathering capabilities, she has the Scientific Sonar System, which can accurately measure the biomass of fish in a survey area.

[5] Henry B. Bigelow can deploy CTD instruments to measure the electrical conductivity, temperature, and chlorophyll fluorescence of sea water, as well as specialized gear such as Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System (MOCNESS) frames, towed vehicles, dredges, and bottom corers, and she can deploy and recover both floating and bottom-moored sensor arrays.

[5] Officially classified as a "fisheries survey vessel" and with her home port Newport, Rhode Island, Henry B. Bigelow's primary mission is to study and monitor marine fisheries in the waters of the United States exclusive economic zone off the United States East Coast from Maine to North Carolina, including the Georges Bank off New England.