Two months after thousands of people voted to name a new British research vessel "Boaty McBoatface," officials announced they would be going in another direction and naming the ship after renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
But Boaty McBoatface fans can rest assured: officials are giving the popular name to a remotely operated sub-sea vehicle that will stay with the Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough.
The United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council received more than 7,000 suggestions after asking the public to name its research vessel. Boaty McBoatface topped the list with more than 124,000 votes, but officials determined Attenborough would be more appropriate, given the broadcaster's decades-long career inspiring a love of nature.
"The public provided some truly inspirational and creative names, and while it was a difficult decision I'm delighted that our state-of-the-art polar research ship will be named after one of the nation's most cherished broadcasters and natural scientists," said Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson.
The announcement comes just days after Attenborough, well-known for presenting acclaimed wildlife documentaries such as "Planet Earth" and "The Blue Planet," celebrated his 90th birthday.
In a statement released Friday, Attenborough said he was honored by the decision to give the ship his name.
"I have been privileged to explore the world's deepest oceans alongside amazing teams of researchers, and with this new polar research ship they will be able to go further and discover more than ever before," he said.
The ship will be equipped with multiple robotic submarines and marine gliders, including Boaty McBoatface, which researchers will be able to dispatch "to allow the ship's research crew to collect data and samples from the deepest waters of the Arctic and Antarctic," the Natural Environment Research Council said.
"The ship has captured the imaginations of millions, which is why we're ensuring that the Boaty name lives on," Johnson said.
James Hand, the man who first suggested the vessel be called Boaty McBoatface, called the final name "a fitting and excellent choice."
"That being said, I'm really pleased to hear Boaty McBoatface will live on," he said. "The name appeals to the child in us: that's one of the reasons it's been so popular. There's something about the work of a remote-controlled underwater robot which does the same, so in a way it's quite an appropriate selection."
The ship, which is expected to be ready in 2019, will be deployed in the Arctic and Antarctic. It will be the first British-built polar research vessel with a helideck, which officials say will make more areas open to scientists.
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