More than $3.5 million in grant awards will be given to the University of Hawaii for its Sea Grant College Program and for Asia-Pacific research and scholarships, Sen. Mazie Hirono announced Friday.
The UH Sea Grant College Program has received more than $1.6 million in federal support from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for research and programming to understand the effects of climate change on coral reefs and oceans, groundwater and other impacts on the Hawaiian Islands. The U.S. Department of Education has awarded nearly $1.9 million for UH research on activity throughout the Asia-Pacific region and to support language study and travel grants.
“Investments in the University of Hawaii’s research and programming are integral to giving students more opportunities, gaining valuable insights into the challenges facing our communities and fostering better engagement in the broader world,” Hirono said. “It is important that we maintain healthy coral reefs and water sources, and gain as much insight as possible into the effects of climate change. With the U.S. government’s ongoing re-balance to the Pacific, it is important that American students, diplomats and policy makers have a working understanding of Asia-Pacific countries and cultures. The awards announced today will help the University of Hawaii conduct research and provide programming to achieve these important goals.”
Sea Grant has received funds from NOAA as a part of its broader program. UH is one of only 33 universities in the United States that is a member of the Sea Grant Program. Through university and state partnerships, federal funding will support projects that help build resilient coastal communities and economies.
Among the Sea Grant projects getting funding include the effects of anthropogenic noise on humpback whale mother and calf pairs ($24,953); maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems and understanding disease risk of Hawaii coral reefs and sources of coral pathogens ($16,933); global and regional vulnerability to 21st century climate shifts in current areas of plant growth ($34,996); groundwater-derived nutrient uptake in coastal ecosystems as driver of reef accretion-erosion balance ($74,982); coral adaptation and acclimatization to global change ($10,500); and ocean acidification and coral reef dissolution ($34,967). Sea Grant is also getting $563,398 for its extension program, $222,533 for its communications program, $438,730 for its graduate trainee program, and $20,076 for program development.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Education is providing funding to UH Manoa with the goal of enabling the university to teach foreign languages and international affairs more effectively. UH also received funding that will allow students to conduct research abroad in their areas of focus.