[9][10] Named after Irish Antarctic explorer Tom Crean, the vessel is 52.8 metres (173 ft 3 in) long and can accommodate 12 crew members and 14 researchers.

When at port, the vessel's onboard generators can be shut down and it can draw power from onshore facilities to reduce fuel consumption.

A stern mounted 10-ton A-frame can articulate through 170 degrees can be used for deploying and recovering equipment such as ROVs and towed sleds, and for research fishing operations.

[21] The second phase of INFOMAR surveys is planned to run until 2026, and expected to see the Tom Crean mapping the Celtic Sea off the Cork coast and the Atlantic Ocean off the west of counties Kerry, Clare and Galway.

[22] It has also collected data from locations such as the Porcupine Bank, approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) west of Kerry; Aran Grounds; the Celtic Sea; and the Bay of Biscay.