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Instructional and Research Facilities

Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology

The Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) conducts geological, geochemical, geophysical, and oceanographic and atmospheric laser and passive remote sensing research, as well as remote sensing research in earth, space, and marine sciences. Programs embrace research and advanced training in marine geology and geophysics, marine geochemistry, materials science and high-pressure geophysics, oceanic biology, evolution of the solar system, seismology and solid earth geophysics, planetary geology, volcanology, and petrology. The institute maintains various specialized facilities in support of its research endeavors. HIGP includes the Hawai'i Space Grant College, which runs a wide variety of education and fellowship programs at the K–12, undergraduate, and professional levels and also provides outreach to the Hawai'i community.

Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology

The Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) provides facilities and services for faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students and visiting scholars for research and education in marine biology and related topics. The core faculty, plus many from other UH departments, study the life processes of marine organisms including plants, animals, and microbes. Research at HIMB covers a broad range of topics including coral reef biology and ecology, the behavior physiology and sensory systems of marine mammals, tropical aquaculture, the behavior of reef fishes, shark ecology and sensory systems, fish endocrinology, pollution and management of marine ecosystems, coastal biogeochemical processes, fisheries, and bioengineering and genetics.

HIMB is unique in that it has new, state of the art, molecular biology laboratories and immediate access to the reef , Kane'ohe Bay, and deep ocean waters. It is located on Coconut Island in Kane'ohe Bay (on the east coast of O'ahu) providing a unique setting for graduate-level topics courses and field-trip demonstration opportunities. Kane'ohe Bay is filled with healthy coral reefs. The 24 acre island, located within a 30 minute drive distance from the Manoa campus, is surrounded by a 64 acre coral reef dedicated to scientific research. Facilities at the marine laboratory include research vessels and skiffs, protected harbors, a pelagic fish laboratory; Hawaiian fish ponds, aquaria and tanks; a flow-through seawater system; remote environmental monitoring capabilities; reef microcosm systems; a wide array of computerized analytical and acoustic equipment; a floating marine mammal research complex; and the Barbara Pauley Pagen Library and classrooms.

Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute

The Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) was established by the state Legislature in 1974 as a research institute at the University to provide leadership, focus, and support for natural energy research, development, and demonstration. HNEI works closely with the federal, state, and county governments; private industry; the utilities, community and international organizations; and individuals to initiate and complete renewable energy and ocean resources activities. HNEI attracts government and industrial funds for basic research, demonstration projects, feasibility studies, and field evaluation programs.

Hawai'i Undersea Research Laboratory

The Hawai'i Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) was established in 1980 by a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Hawai'i. HURL is one of six National Undersea Research Centers sponsored by NOAA's National Undersea Research Program (NURP). HURL operates the Pisces IV and Pisces V research submersibles and the RCV-150 remotely-operated vehicle to conduct marine research to oceanic depths of 2,000 meters. These underwater vehicles are operated from HURL's dedicated support ship, the 222-foot R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa. Extensive data are archived and available to the scientific and academic community for biology, geology and marine chemistry research from submersible dives dating back to 1980. Principal research projects conducted are those aligned with the mission of NOAA.

James K. K. Look Laboratory

The James K. K. Look Laboratory of Oceanographic Engineering (established 1966), part of the Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, conducts research on ocean engineering problems related to structures in and physical characteristics of the coastal zone and open ocean, and it provides service to researchers on problems related to ocean resources and the calibration of wind-measuring instruments. The Look Laboratory is also used for instruction of courses involving field measurements of ocean characteristics and hydraulic scale models. Facilities at Look Laboratory include two- and three-dimensional hydraulic scale model spaces, an in-ocean test range, a wet chemistry and biology laboratory, photobioreactors for the Marine Bioproducts Engineering Center (MarBEC) and supporting electronics and machine shops.

Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research

The Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR) was formed in 1977 under a memorandum of understanding between the NOAA and the University of Hawai'i. The principal research interests of JIMAR are tsunamis, equatorial oceanography, climate, fisheries oceanography, and tropical meteorology.

International Pacific Research Center

The International Pacific Research Center was established in 1997 under the U.S.- Japan Common Agenda for Cooperation in Global Perspective. Its mission is to provide an international, state-of-the-art research environment to improve understanding of the nature and predictability of climate variability in the Asia-Pacific sector, including regional aspects of global environmental change.

Pacific Mapping Program

The Pacific Mapping Program (PMP) was established in 1990 to facilitate the exploration and development of the Pacific Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It was initially funded by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Ocean Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOS/NOAA), and the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR). It is a self-contained research facility with the state-of-the-art computer hardware and software to conduct research, service and graduate education in ocean mapping and marine geographic information systems (GIS). The principal research interests of the PMP are shallow water mapping, GIS, remote sensing and data integration.

Sea Grant College Program

The Sea Grant College Program develops and administers a multidisciplinary institutional research and extension program dedicated to the wise use and management of the marine environment and its resources. The research is conducted by UH faculty and staff in 26 departments in 10 colleges and institutes at the Manoa campus, the Hilo campus, and the Community Colleges; graduate and undergraduate education is supported through the research projects. Results of the research are disseminated to marine agencies, the marine industry, and the general public through the program's extension service and communications program. The program has strong linkages with the 29 Sea Grant programs across the nation and with the United States flag territories and freely associated states of the western Pacific.

Space Grant College Program

The Space Grant College Program is a wide-ranging community educational program supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that promotes studies in scientific fields related to space. These fields include astronomy, geology, meteorology, oceanography, mathematics, physics, engineering, computer science, and life sciences. Affiliate campuses are UH Hilo, all seven Community Colleges, and the University of Guam. Some of the programs supported by Space Grant include an Undergraduate Fellowship Program (approximately 20 students per semester are supported); the Future Flight Program for teachers, school students and their parents; teacher workshops; undergraduate remote-sensing class; an undergraduate telescope facility; maintenance of several World Wide Web sites including "Planetary Science Research Discoveries"; and outreach to state and federal agencies related to the use of satellite and aircraft remote-sensing data. A significant goal of the program is to encourage interdisciplinary studies and research and to train future generations of space scientists in the physical sciences. Students, teachers, and researchers in Hawai'i are encouraged to contact the Manoa Space Grant office at (808) 956-3138 to learn more about the opportunities

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