Contact: Lori Hamamoto/Peter Boylan 202-224-3934

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AWARDED
$891,305 FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROJECTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON – The University of Hawaii will receive $891,305 from the National Science Foundation for oceanic and astronomical research projects, Senator Daniel K. Inouye announced today.

“Understanding the ecosystem of the ocean and the galaxies that fill the vast expanse of space will lend insight into the world we occupy,” said Senator Inouye. “These funds will help the University of Hawaii take advantage of the state’s unfettered access to the sea and the view through telescopes perched atop Hawaii’s highest peaks.”

One of the projects receiving funding is the research vessel Kilo Moana, which will use the grant to upgrade their sonar equipment.  Senator Inouye toured the Kilo Moana during his recent trip home to Hawaii.

The breakdown of the funding is as follows:

·        $428,916 for the project entitled, “The development of microbial associations in major reef building corals of the Pacific Ocean.”  The funding will allow   research to be expanded to examine the onset of microbial associations in key reef building corals from Hawaii in the North Pacific Ocean and Morrea, French Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean. 

·        $296,270 for the project entitled “2009 Oceanographic Instrumentation, R/V Kilo Moana Multibeam Sonar Upgrade.”  The funding will be used to purchase oceanographic instruments and equipment to support projects to be undertaken on the Kilo Moana, a185-foot general purpose research vessel operated as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet.

 

·        $166,119 for the project entitled “Collaborative Research: Nearby M dwarf stars as high-priority targets for exoplanet searches.”  The funding will complete the largest and most complete census of nearby, low-mass stars, which are called M dwarf stars. 

 

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