The Floating Instrument Platform, or FLIP, is a 108 m (355 ft) long oceanic research barge that is able to float ‘upright’ with 17 m (55 ft) of its length above the ocean surface and 91 m (300 ft) below. The vessel rotates through 90° by flooding large ballast tanks. As these sink, FLIP’s buoyant end -which contains accommodation for the 16 crew and their research equipment – rises. FLIP is operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, USA, and is favoured by scientists because it offers a far more stable platform for research than regular ships.