Lots of interesting research programs take place on board this ship. Side-scanning sonar and remotely operated vehicles for underwater observations were shown during the tour.
While on the tour I noticed quite a bit of VHF marine communications and HF communications gear on the bridge. The ship also appears to carry a satellite base phone aboard. The folks working on board were using FRS radios, so I was unable to locate any agency-specific radio gear on board.
For more information on the Bold, here is a link to the EPA web page:
http://www.epa.gov/bold/
And the operations of the ship are managed by a federal contractor, Seaward Services of Dania Beach, FL:
http://www.seawardservices.com/