R/V Rachel Carson is a research vessel owned and operated by the University of Washington's School of Oceanography, named in honor of the marine biologist and writer Rachel Carson.

It is capable of conducting operations within the Salish Sea and coastal waters of the western United States and British Columbia.

[4][7] After an inspection in March 2017, the ship was purchased for $1.07m on 8 August 2017,[7] with the aid of a $1m gift.

[8] A programme of maintenance and some modifications at the MacDuff yard were completed in October, and the Rachel Carson was transported by ship from Rotterdam to West Palm Beach, Florida by early November.

After further preparations and modifications the ship entered service on 7 April 2018,[7] with a five-day cruise in Puget Sound to collect samples for monitoring by the Washington Ocean Acidification Center.