There is no more fitting name for a marine research vessel.

Pisces.

But for five students from Sacred Heart Catholic School in Southhaven, Pisces will always be more than just the name of the third National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine research vessel being built at VT Halter Marine's Moss Point yard.

It will be a part of their life; a legacy that they will leave to their school and their families.

The students, Molly Mohler, Maddie Simmons, Chelsea Hensley, Sydney Hudspeth and Michael Grillo, were the team that won a NOAA contest to name the research vessel, which when completed will be based in Pascagoula.

Pisces is a name that goes back to ancient history and Greek mythology, which told the story of the goddess Aphrodite, who was the object of the affections of the monster Typhon.

When she and her son, Eros, were being pursued by Typhon, they jumped into a river where they were transformed into twin fish. The legend is immortalized by the constellation Pisces, which is supposed to depict two fish holding each other's tail so they can stay together.

It was the constellation that inspired the team.

"When you look at the constellation, you see a ribbon between the fish," Molly Mohler said. "It's like there is a ribbon between NOAA and wildlife that brings them together. The ribbon helps people make the connection."

"We also wanted to give the ship a name that would be easy to remember," Sydney Hudspeth said. "No research ship has ever been named for a fish; they've all been named for people. Everyone knows Pisces. It's different than naming it for someone who has died and no one knows. People know the Zodiac."

The students arrived in Pascagoula on Thursday, when they received a tour of the research vessel Henry Bigelow, which was christened and launched last year and is nearing completion. They also went on a smaller NOAA research vessel, where they watched a trawl brought in and learned the scientific names of fish.