The Albatross was built in 1882 for the U. S. Fish Commission (which became U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in 1903, and now National Marine Fisheries Service). It was the first large ship designed especially for oceanographic research and included laboratories, storage space for specimens, and sophisticated dredging equipment. The Albatross was also the first U.S. government ship to be furnished with electric lighting, which allowed sorting of specimens and related collection work at night. During her nearly forty years of service, scientists on board surveyed the northern Atlantic coast, the Caribbean, the Pacific coast of the U.S., Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, Japan, and the Philippines. The Albatross occupies an important place in history, as her life spanned a period of growth in the marine sciences. Some well-known naturalists served on the Albatross and many young men trained on the research ship became eminent scientists. Over the course of her career, the Albatross collected more marine specimens than any other ship. Most of the material collected was deposited at the Smithsonian Institution, but some can also be found at other museums. These specimens have formed the basis of many scientific papers and are still being studied today.

Additional information about the Albatross is found in "Fisheries Research Vessels--Woods Hole," a part of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center Home Page. It should be noted here that three other research vessels, Albatross II, III, and IV, were named after the original Albatross, which is the focus of this program.