# List of Danish research ships

A number of ships have been used for Danish marine research and Danish-led expeditions. Some were dedicated research ships and functional in many years, other were bought or chartered for a limited time for one or more dedicated expeditions. These expeditions are typically named after the ship.
Most information has been compiled from Sandbeck (2007), Wolff (1967) and Christiansen (2010). Additional references are listed in the table.
The table does not include research ships that are or were operated independently by Greenland and the Faroe Islands (such as R/V Sanna, M/V Tarajoq and R/V Jákup Sverri), which are self-governing parts of the Kingdom of Denmark.
| Ship name | Prior/later names | Ship lifetime | Time as research vessel | Major expeditions | Notable scientists on board | Comments/references |
| HDMS Grønland | | 1756-91 | 1761 | Danish Arabia Expedition | Peter Forsskål Carsten Niebuhr Fr. Chr. von Haven | |
| HDMS Bellona | | 1830-68 | 1840-41 | South America 1840-41 | Henrik Nikolai Krøyer | |
| HDMS Ørnen | | 1842-66 | 1846 | Danish West Indies | A.S. Ørsted | Ørsted also used other navy ships while in the Caribbean |
| HDMS Galathea | | 1831-89 | 1845-47 | Galathea I | H.J. Rink J.T. Reinhardt | |
| Dijmphna | Linkjöping | 1871-1889 | 1882-83 | | Theo H. Holm | |
| HDMS Hauch | | 1862-1900 | 1883-86 | | C.G.Johannes Petersen | In later years fisheries inspection ship |
| HDMS Fylla | | 1862-1903 | 1884-86 | Fylla expeditions | Eugen Warming Theo H. Holm J.L.K. Rosenvinge | |
| Transportskib No. 3 | | 1858-1940 | 1890-1940 | | C.G.Johannes Petersen A.C.Johansen | Mobile biological laboratory |
| Hekla | Scotia | 1872-1916 | 1891-92 | Hekla Expedition | H. Deichmann Nikolaj Hartz | |
| HDMS Ingolf | | 1876-1926 | 1895-96 | Ingolf Expedition | C. Wesenberg-Lund C.H.Ostenfeld Martin Knudsen William Lundbeck H. Jungersen H.J. Hansen | |
| Antarctic | Cap Nord | 1871-1903 | 1898-1900 | The Carlsberg Foundation East Greenland Expedition | | Norwegian/Swedish privately owned |
| Sallingsund | Japetus Steenstrup | 1873-1932 | 1899-1932 | | C.G.Johannes Petersen | Owned by the Danish Biological Station |
| Danmark | Sir Colin Campell Magdalena | 1855-1917 | 1906-08 | Danmark Expedition | L. Mylius-Erichsen Alfred Wegener | Former whaler |
| Thor | | 1899-1929 | 1902-19 | 1st and 2nd Thor Expeditions | J. Schmidt | |
| Tjalfe | | 1853-1950 | 1908-1909 | Greenland Fisheries Expeditions | Adolf Jensen | |
| Margrethe | | ?-1913 | 1913 | West Indies | J. Schmidt | Wrecked on coral reef on Anegada. |
| Dana I | Carina Guiseppina V | 1919-41 | 1920-21 | 1st and 2nd Dana expeditions | J. Schmidt Aage V. Tåning | Owned by EAC |
| Dana II | HMT John Quilliam | 1917-35 | 1921-35 | 3rd Dana expedition | J. Schmidt H.R.G. Spärck Aage V. Tåning | Sunk in collision in the North Sea |
| Godthaab | Hvitabjörn | 1898-1984 | 1926-34 | Godthaab Expedition, Three-year Expedition to East Greenland | Lauge Koch Gunnar Seidenfaden | |
| Gustav Holm | Fox II | 1893-1959 | 1931-34 | Three-year Expedition to East Greenland | Lauge Koch | |
| Biologen | Knøsen | 1932-1974 | 1932-64 | | | Owned by the Danish Biological Station |
| Thor | Albertina | 1930-? | 1934-35 | | | Fate after 1935 unknown |
| Dana III | Esvagt Dana Gulden Leeuw | 1937–present | 1937-1978 | Sargasso Sea 1966 | Erik Bertelsen | |
| Søkongen | Knud, Polar Ægidius | 1919-1972 | | | Ejnar Mikkelsen Knud Rasmussen | |
| Atlantide | Shenandoah | 1902–present | 1945-46 | Atlantide Expedition | Anton Bruun F.C. Fraser | Owned by sculptor Viggo Jarl |
| HDMS Galathea | HMS Leith | 1935-55 | 1950-52 | Galathea II | Anton Bruun Torben Wolff | |
| Noona Dan | Havet Seute Deern | 1939–present | 1961-62 | Noona Dan-ekspedition | Finn Salomonsen Lorenz P. Ferdinand | |
| Dana IV | | 1980–present | 1980–present | Danish eel expedition | | Owned by the Technical University of Denmark |
| HDMS Vædderen | | 1990–present | 2006-2007 | Galathea III | | Fisheries inspection and coast guard vessel |
| Aurora | | 2014–present | 2014–present | | | Owned by Aarhus University |
Overview of ships which serve or has served as Danish research ships. Also indicated are ships purchased specifically for major Danish funded expeditions.
* In other service
* Royal Danish Navy
* Active as research ship
* Expedition