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Instructional and Research Facilities

Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology

Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute

Hawaii Space Grant Consortium

Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory

International Pacific Research Center

Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research

Pacific Mapping Program

Sea Grant College Program


 

School of Ocean and Earth Science Technology

Instructional and Research Facilities

Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology

The Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) conducts geological, geochemical, geophysical, oceanographic acoustic, and atmospheric 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, infrasonics, materials science and high-pressure mineral geophysics, evolution of the Solar System, seismology and solid Earth geophysics, planetary geology, meteoritics, volcanology, geodetics, and petrology. The institute maintains various specialized facilities in support of its research endeavors and has a number of instrument development programs, including hyperspectral images, mass spectrometers, and micro-satellites. HIGP includes the Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium, which runs a wide variety of education and fellowship programs at the K–12, undergraduate, and professional levels in the form of workforce development and also provides outreach to the Hawai‘i community. HIGP is also the home of the Pacific Regional Planetary Data Center, and maintains several websites for the community, including “Planetary Science Research Discoveries” and the “Hawai‘i MODUOLC Near Real-time Thermal Monitoring of Global Hot-spots.”

Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology

The Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) was established on the island of Moku O Lo‘e in 1965 when its name was changed from the Hawai‘i Marine Laboratory. The institute is responsible for providing leadership and support for studies in the marine environment, particularly in coral reefs. It 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, modern molecular biology laboratories and immediate access to the reef, Kâne‘ohe Bay, and deep ocean waters. It is located on Moku O Lo ‘e (Coconut Island) in Kâne‘ohe Bay (on the east coast of O‘ahu) providing a unique setting for graduate-level topics courses and field-trip demonstration opportunities. Kâne‘ohe Bay is filled with healthy coral reefs. The 24 acre island, located within a 30 minute drive distance from UH 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; functional genomics facility; and the Barbara Pauley Pagen Library and classrooms.

Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute

The Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) was established by the Legislature in 1974 to develop renewable energy resources and technologies to reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels. Today, with funding from private industry and state and federal agencies, HNEI conducts basic and applied research on a wide range of topics to address society’s critical energy and environmental problems. Current research includes hydrogen and fuel cells, sea-bed methane hydrates, fuels and high value products derived from biomass and engineered microbial systems, photovoltaics, and batteries and electric vehicles. The institute works closely with the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), industry, and federal funding agencies to develop public/private partnerships for the deployment and demonstration of fuel cell and renewable energy technologies.

Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium

The Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium 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 undergraduate fellowship and traineeship programs (approximately 10-20 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; a CanSat project geared for community college students to create a satellite similar to UH Manoa’s own CubeSat project; an undergraduateb internship program awarded for students to participate in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related research at local businesses; 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 and engineers. Students, teachers, and researchers in Hawai‘i are encouraged to contact the UH Manoa Space Grant office at (808) 956-3138 to learn more about the opportunities.

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 UH. 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.

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.

Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research

The Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research (JIMAR) was created in 1977 through a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and UH Manoa to conduct research of mutual interest. The principal research interests of JIMAR are equatorial oceanography, tsunamis and other long-period waves, climate, fisheries oceanography, tropical meteorology, and coastal research.

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 University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program (UH Sea Grant) supports an innovative program of research, education, and outreach services directed to the improved understanding and stewardship of marine and coastal resources of the state, region, and nation. UH Sea Grant is a partnership of UH, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Hawai‘i that is facilitated by strong linkages with 32 Sea Grant programs across the nation and affiliations throughout the Pacific.

UH Sea Grant research currently focuses on promoting coastal community sustainability, sustainable aquaculture, marine biotechnology, ecosystem-based use of nearshore resources and habitats, sustainable tourism, coastal water quality, and resilience to natural hazards. Knowledge is disseminated to policy makers, marine agencies, the marine industry, and the general public through UH Sea Grant’s extension faculty, outreach activities and communications program. UH Sea Grant supports educational activities that include K-12 through graduate and postgraduate and professional training. Human resources are built in part through internships, traineeships and fellowships. The overall goal is to develop knowledge and the will to build Hawai‘i’s economy and protect its habitats and resources through UH’s excellence and our cultural heritage.