The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa鈥檚 celebrated its 15th anniversary on October 25, marking a decade and a half of cutting-edge discovery and sustainable design.

Opened in 2010, the 26,997-square-foot facility has become a hub for groundbreaking research on marine microbes—organisms that play a vital role in the health of the planet鈥檚 oceans and climate. The state-of-the-art building houses laboratories, offices and a conference center designed to foster collaboration among scientists across disciplines and time zones. Its 50-seat auditorium supports video conferencing and live webcasting, connecting researchers around the world.

In 2012, C-MORE Hale was the first research laboratory building in Hawaiʻi to achieve LEED Platinum certification for environmental design. The facility incorporates energy-efficient systems and low-flow plumbing. It also features smart lighting controls and water recycling technologies that reduce potable water use by nearly half. The building鈥檚 innovative design earned multiple awards, including the Kukulu Hale Award for new commercial projects in 2011.

Leading research in microbial oceanography

David M. Karl, C-MORE鈥檚 founding director, member of the National Academy of Sciences and a professor of at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa, was instrumental in securing the 10-year, $36.8 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant in 2006 that led to its establishment as an NSF Science and Technology Center. The center unites specialists in biology, chemistry, oceanography and engineering from six partner institutions. Together, these teams investigate the structure, diversity and metabolic function of marine microbes—from those that use sunlight to generate energy to others that recycle organic matter and drive global nutrient cycles.

Beyond the facility itself, Karl and C-MORE have positioned 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa as a global leader in microbial oceanography by successfully establishing a link between molecular-level biology and large-scale ocean processes. His pioneering research on marine microbes and their role in global biogeochemical cycles has shaped modern understanding of how ocean life regulates Earth鈥檚 climate. Today, Karl continues to play a key role in advancing microbial oceanography worldwide.

“The opportunities that have been sustained by the investment in C-MORE Hale have put Hawaiʻi on the map of ocean research,” Karl said. “糖心Vlog官方 is now recognized as one of the top institutions in the world to study microbial oceanography, and we are also training the next generation of leaders. The future is today.”

Modeling the future of Earth鈥檚 oceans

C-MORE鈥檚 integrated research program is organized around four themes: microbial biodiversity, metabolism and nutrient flow, remote and continuous sensing of ocean processes, and ecosystem modeling and prediction. This approach allows scientists to explore how marine microorganisms influence climate, carbon storage and energy transfer within ocean ecosystems. The center鈥檚 work has advanced predictive models of how marine environments respond to environmental change, establishing 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa as a key contributor to global ocean science.

“C-MORE Hale encompasses all the success in microbial oceanography and David Karl is the founder for microbial oceanography,” 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos said. “He has brought funding—tens of millions of dollars to support this from the National Science Foundation, from the Moore Foundation, so private, public, federal, state, you name it. It is an unbelievable project. He has created a program that is second to none, not only here in Hawaiʻi and in the continent, but in the world.”

Karl was instrumental in the establishment of an open ocean time-series, called the Hawaiʻi Ocean Time-Series, as a sentinel for observing the effects of climate on the structure and function of microbial communities. C-MORE鈥檚 long-term research station, , located about 60 miles north of Oʻahu, was designated a Milestones in Microbiology Site by the American Society for Microbiology in 2015. The recognition honored 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 historic contributions to understanding marine microbial life and its role in maintaining planetary habitability.

Building Hawaiʻi鈥檚 future in ocean science

In addition to its research mission, C-MORE supports education and outreach programs that inspire future ocean scientists and engage the public in microbial ecology. These efforts span from pre-college curricula and teacher training to graduate and postdoctoral research opportunities, helping to strengthen the next generation of oceanographers.

C-MORE Hale鈥檚 naming under the Daniel K. Inouye Legacy Program honors the late senator鈥檚 lifelong commitment to advancing science and education in Hawaiʻi.

During C-MORE Hale鈥檚 15th anniversary, many students and staff are aboard the R/V Kilo Moana, a 186-foot 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa research vessel that supports the center鈥檚 oceanographic missions by serving as a mobile platform for sampling, experiments and data collection at sea. Karl said a formal celebration to mark the milestone is planned for later this fall.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean at the surface and has been increasing the acidity of Pacific waters since the beginning of the industrial revolution more than 200 years ago. A new study, led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , revealed that the ocean is acidifying even more rapidly below the surface in the open waters of the North Pacific near Hawaiʻi. Their discovery was published in the .

“Ocean acidification has far‐reaching consequences for ocean biology and the global climate,” said Lucie Knor, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST). “We expected some indicators of ocean acidification to be changing more rapidly below the surface, because that was what some global studies have previously discovered, but we were very surprised that this was true for every single ocean acidification indicator.”

Knor and co-authors analyzed a 35‐year record of ocean carbon measurements made by the Hawaiʻi Ocean Time-series program throughout the entire water column—from the surface to nearly 3 miles deep—at the open ocean field site 60 miles north of Oʻahu at Station ALOHA.

They found that in all layers, there are increases of carbon from natural decomposition of sinking organisms. In some layers, accelerated acidification is associated with fresher and colder waters.

“Deeper waters are already naturally quite acidic in the North Pacific, so quickly increasing acidity could negatively impact plankton species and other organisms that live below the surface,” said Knor. “In the long run, these changes in ocean chemistry also make it harder for the ocean to keep taking up more CO_鈧� from the atmosphere.”

Concern over heat waves, acidity

In the past decade or so, there has been an onslaught of marine heat waves associated with unusual conditions in the ocean and atmosphere and strong, multi‐year El Niño events. Researchers, fisheries managers, and coral conservationists are concerned with the combined impacts of marine heat waves and ocean acidity events.

Subsurface waters at Station ALOHA are formed farther north in the Pacific. Changes in seawater properties impacted by evolving environmental conditions in other areas of the North Pacific are then transported by ocean currents into the deeper layers of the ocean around Hawaiʻi.

“We illustrate that regional-scale changes in source water chemistry and circulation are substantial drivers of the subsurface intensification of ocean acidification around Hawaiʻi,” said Christopher Sabine, co-author of the article and SOEST oceanography professor.

Currently, the research team is investigating the carbon specifically from human-made sources in the water column at Station ALOHA and how that is changing over time in different layers.

This week鈥檚 糖心Vlog官方 News Image of the Week is from University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补’s Kelsey Maloney, visiting researcher program coordinator at the .

Maloney shared, “HOT-346: A sunset sediment trap recovery on a Cruise aboard the Kilo Moana. Location is Station ALOHA. People in the photo are Blake Watkins (HOT) and Benjamin Duncan (OTG). ”

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The is No. 91 out of the top 633 research institutions in the U.S. and No. 59 out of the top 410 public universities, according to the latest , which measures research and development federal expenditures across a variety of disciplines.

The following disciplines at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 placed in the nation鈥檚 top 10%, according to the latest available data from FY 2022:

• Ocean sciences and marine sciences: No. 7 out of 396 (top 2%)
• Astronomy and astrophysics: No. 13 out of 493 (top 3%)
• Geological and earth sciences: No. 15 out of 396 (top 4%)
• Computer and information sciences: No. 27 out of 484 (top 6%)
• Atmospheric science and meteorology: No. 41 out of 396 (top 10%)
• Social Work: No. 47 out of 460 (top 10%)

糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 is also in the top 11% in agricultural sciences (No. 38 out of 332) and electrical, electronic, and communications engineering (No. 43 out of 388).

“The data shows that in a highly competitive environment, the federal government recognizes the expertise here at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 by funding our research across multiple disciplines,” 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 Provost Michael Bruno said. “It underscores our continued success in fostering a dynamic research environment, attracting top-tier faculty and students, and further establishing ourselves as a hub for cutting-edge research to serve the people of Hawaiʻi and the world.”

糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 is a global leader in a wide range of disciplines, including earth and environmental sciences, sustainability, climate, food systems and the health sciences. Several examples of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 projects that attracted the attention of funders:

• In 1988, the Hawaiʻi Ocean Time-series (HOT) was established with support from the National Science Foundation to study changes in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. After nearly 350 expeditions to station ALOHA, the 35-year time-series record is still going strong. Read more about the HOT program on 糖心Vlog官方 News.
• A 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 student-led team was selected to develop a small research satellite for the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative planned to launch between 2024–27. Read more about the project.
• Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly 尝艒ʻ颈丑颈 Seamount), a submarine Hawaiian volcano located about 20 miles off the south coast of Hawaiʻi Island, has erupted at least five times in the last 150 years, according to new research led by Earth scientists at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补. Read more about this research.

“This achievement is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our faculty, staff and students who continue to elevate 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 as a beacon of excellence, propelling Hawaiʻi to the forefront of cutting-edge research and innovation,” 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship Christopher Sabine said. “The entire state should take pride in our collective commitment to advancing knowledge and contributing to the broader scientific community.”

Record extramural funding

糖心Vlog官方 brought in a record high of $515.9 million for FY 2023 in extramural funding, $10.9 million more than the previous record of $505 million set in FY 2022. 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, the flagship campus of 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 10 campus system, led the extramural funding amount with $342.7 million.

Extramural funding is external investments from entities such as the federal government, industry and non-profit organizations that support research and training activities conducted by university faculty and staff. Extramural projects support research and innovation that help to increase knowledge and provide solutions to improve quality of life.

糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, the flagship campus of the 糖心Vlog官方 10-campus system is classified as one of only 146 R1 research universities in the nation by the Carnegie Foundation, indicating “very high research activity.”

This week鈥檚 糖心Vlog官方 News Image of the Week is from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补’s Fernando Santiago-Mandujano, an oceanography research associate in the .

Santiago-Mandujano shared: “Eleanor Bates and Blake Watkins preparing for a night water-sampler deployment onboard the 糖心Vlog官方 Research Vessel Kilo Moana during a recent cruise of the (HOT) project. Eleanor is a PhD student at the 糖心Vlog官方 in a project to quantify Iron turnover in the upper ocean. The HOT project has been conducting near-monthly cruises to Station ALOHA, 80 miles north of Oʻahu for more than 33 years, studying the hydrography and biogeochemical variability in the water column at this site.”

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Clear evidence that marine phytoplankton are much more resilient to future climate change than previously thought is the focus of a study published in by an international team of scientists, including oceanography professor David Karl.

“Knowing how marine algae will respond to global warming and to associated decline of nutrients in upper ocean waters is crucial for understanding the long-term habitability of our planet,” said Karl.

Combining data from the long-term at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa with new climate model simulations conducted on one of South Korea鈥檚 fastest supercomputers, the scientists revealed that a mechanism, known as nutrient uptake plasticity, allows marine algae to adapt and cope with nutrient-poor ocean conditions that are expected to occur over the next decades in response to global warming of the upper ocean.

Phytoplankton are tiny algae that drift at the ocean鈥檚 surface and form the basis of the marine food web. While photosynthesizing, these algae absorb nutrients (for example, phosphate and nitrate), take up dissolved carbon dioxide, and release oxygen, which makes up about 50% of the oxygen that we breathe.

Global warming affects the upper layers of the ocean more than the deeper layers. Earlier studies suggested that the expected future depletion of nutrients near the surface would lead to a substantial reduction of ocean鈥檚 phytoplankton production with widespread and potentially catastrophic effects on both marine ecosystems and climate.

A new analysis of the upper ocean phytoplankton data from the Hawaiʻi Ocean Time (HOT)-series program shows that productivity can be sustained, even in very nutrient-depleted conditions. HOT is an ocean measurement program to establish and maintain deep-water hydrostations for observing and interpreting physical and biogeochemical variability.

“Under such conditions individual phytoplankton cells can substitute phosphorus with sulfur. On a community level, one might see further shifts towards taxa that require less phosphorus,” said Karl, who is also co-founder of the HOT-series program.

Further supporting evidence for phytoplankton plasticity (adjustment to different environmental conditions) comes from the fact that in subtropical regions, where nutrient concentrations in the surface waters are low, algae take up less phosphorus per amount of carbon stored in their cells, as compared to the global average.

Plasticity affects productivity

To study how this unique metabolic “hack” will impact global ocean productivity over the next few decades, the team ran a series of climate model simulations with the Community Earth System model on their supercomputer Aleph. By turning off the phytoplankton plasticity in their model, the authors reproduced previous model results of a decline in global productivity by about 8%. However, when turning on the plasticity parameter in their model, in a way that captures the observations near Hawaiʻi for the past three decades, the computer simulation reveals an increase in global productivity of up to 5% until the end of this century.

“Regionally, however, these future productivity differences can be much higher, reaching up to 200% in subtropical regions,” said Eun Young Kwon, first author of the study and a researcher at the IBS Center for Climate Physics at Pusan National University, South Korea.

With this extra productivity boost, the ocean can also take up more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and eventually sequester it below the ocean鈥檚 surface.

Phytoplankton not immune to climate change

鈥淓ven though our study demonstrates the importance of biological buffering of global-scale ecological changes, this does not imply that phytoplankton are immune to human induced climate change. For instance, worsening ocean acidification will reduce the calcification rates of certain types of phytoplankton, which can lead to large-scale shifts in ecosystems,鈥� warned Kwon.

These factors are neither well understood nor represented in climate models.

鈥淔uture Earth system models need to use improved observationally based representations of how phytoplankton respond to multiple stressors, including warming and ocean acidification. This is necessary to predict the future of marine life on our planet,鈥� said Axel Timmermann, study co-author and director of the IBS Center for Climate Physics.

This week鈥檚 Image of the Week is from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (WHOTS).

Hawaiʻi Institute for Marine Biology 糖心Vlog官方ing Researcher Program Coordinator Kelsey Maloney shared this image: “Tully Rohrer waiting for the deployment of the WHOTS-18 mooring at . WHOTS is the Woods Hole – (HOT) site. This is a joint project between the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology鈥檚 HOT program and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute upper ocean processes team. We have been doing this project for 18 years, and it鈥檚 still going strong with our commitment to understanding the ocean around us.”

to be considered for 糖心Vlog官方 News Image of the Week.

Station ALOHA is the focal point of a range of oceanographic studies conducted over time to study trends of the greater North Pacific Ocean. Station ALOHA was established in 1988 and stands for “A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment” (ALOHA).

The most extended form is HOT in which scientists from 糖心Vlog官方 conduct 4 day research cruises to the site almost monthly. Read more about the 300th HOT scientific expedition.

Want to get in on the action? The next 糖心Vlog官方 News Image of the Week could be yours! Submit a photo, drawing, painting, digital illustration of a project you are working on, a moment from a field research outing or a beautiful and/or interesting shot of a scene on your campus. It could be a class visit during which you see an eye-catching object or scene.

Please include a brief description of the image and its connection to your campus, class assignment or other 糖心Vlog官方 connection. By submitting your image, you are giving 糖心Vlog官方 News permission to publish your photo on the 糖心Vlog官方 News website and 糖心Vlog官方 social media accounts. The image must be your original work, and anyone featured in your image needs to give consent to its publication.

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A reception was held on the research vessel Kaʻimikai-O-Kanalo (“Heavenly Searcher of the Seas of Kanaloa”) just before she was sold this fall. Affectionately known to many as the K-O-K, the ship joined the fleet of 糖心Vlog官方 marine expeditionary research vessels on January 15, 1994. Since then, K-O-K has been used across the Pacific Ocean on a variety of missions that included submersible operations, deployment of deep-sea moorings, hydrographic surveys and studies of marine biology, chemistry and climate change.

The original vessel was built by Mangrove Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas, in 1979 and was used for more than a decade for oil and gas exploration. Starting in 1992, 糖心Vlog官方 oceanographer and director of the (HURL), Alex Malahoff, worked tirelessly to acquire and reconfigure this 185-foot offshore supply vessel to serve as a support ship for HURL鈥檚 two human-occupied submersibles, Makaliʻi and Pisces V, the remotely-operated vehicle RC V-150. After the vessel Makaliʻi was retired, K-O-K also supported the submersible Pisces IV.

Attendees at the reception included Beverly Malahoff, who christened the reconfigured R/V Kaʻimikai-O-Kanaloa when she emerged from Bender Shipbuilding and Repair Co. as a versatile 223–foot oceanographic research vessel with a cruising speed of 10 knots, a 15,000 nautical mile range, 50–day endurance, and space for 14 crew members and 19 scientists. The approximately $5 million conversion was funded by the state of Hawaiʻi and NOAA, with the state holding the ship鈥檚 title.

K-O-K鈥檚 greatest accomplishments

K-O-K facilitated research in Hawaiian waters and across the Pacific Ocean by scientists from 糖心Vlog官方 and around the world. Some of K-O-K鈥檚 greatest accomplishments using the HURL submersibles include , long-term monitoring of the changes and growth of Loʻihi seamount off Hawaiʻi Island and finding dozens of new species in the Papah膩naumoku膩kea Marine National Monument.

“In addition to enabling important discoveries and ocean monitoring efforts, the local access of K-O-K made available 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 UNOLSM (University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System) and AGOR (Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research) vessels (previously R/V Moana Wave and now R/V Kilo Moana) for extended circum-Pacific expeditions,” said Brian Taylor, dean of the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 .

One of the most consistent users of K-O-K was the (HOT) program. From July 1999 through July 2018, 93 separate HOT cruises to the open-ocean Station ALOHA were conducted aboard K-O-K. The vessel was also used in Hawaiʻi for numerous expeditions by the 糖心Vlog官方 and the 糖心Vlog官方 , including the Life Aquatic in the Volcanic Aftermath expedition in July 2018 to explore the effects of the K墨lauea eruption on the marine environment.

After 25 years of scientific voyages for 糖心Vlog官方, K-O-K was retired following her final expedition in July 2018 on the 304th cruise of the HOT program. In December, K-O-K was towed to Mexico by an ocean tug where she will be recycled and repurposed.

—By Marcie Grabowski

August marks a transition to new leadership for one of the longest-running open ocean research programs in the world. Angelicque White, an oceanography associate professor at the (SOEST) at the , will lead the next chapter of the monumental (HOT) program.

In 1988, with a focus on the biology and chemistry of the open ocean north of the Hawaiian Islands, the HOT program was established by David Karl and Roger Lukas, SOEST oceanography professors. For more than 30 years, the HOT program has provided consistent, long-term observations of physical, biological and chemical properties of the open ocean in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, and has led to many discoveries in marine ecology and ocean and climate sciences.

Ceremony marks leadership change

An August 1 gathering at the 糖心Vlog官方 Marine Center, held prior to the departure of the 314th cruise of the HOT program, commemorated new leadership after three decades. In attendance were Karl and White, past and present HOT faculty, staff and students, the captains and crew of 糖心Vlog官方 research vessels, and SOEST administration.

Speakers addressed the breadth of scientific findings made possible by the program and the educational and personal importance of their involvement in the time-series.

“Science is a team sport, and we have assembled the best team on the planet to address research with great scientific and societal relevance—research that matters!” said Karl, who will remain a HOT co-investigator with James Potemra.

Added White, “Sustained observation of our planet is a moral imperative for our generation and those to come. I am proud to lead this program forward with an incredible team at my side.”

The HOT program receives primary funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with the Simons Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and State of Hawaiʻi.

See the .

Read more about the HOT program on 糖心Vlog官方 News.

—By Marcie Grabowski

The 30th anniversary of the (HOT) program, based at the (SOEST) at the , is being celebrated with a . This volume of seminal papers from HOT, published by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography on biogeochemistry, ocean physics and plankton ecology, is available for public viewing.

Thirty years ago, on October 30, 1988, a team of scientists from 糖心Vlog官方 established (22掳45鈥睳, 158掳W) as an open ocean observatory for physical, biogeochemical and ecological investigations. ALOHA is an acronym for A Long鈥恡erm Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment, the stated mission of the National Science Foundation鈥恠upported HOT program.

Since then, scientists, engineers, students and technicians from around the world have embarked on more than 300 expeditions to observe and record both natural and human鈥恑nduced variations in ecosystem structure and function at this remote open ocean location.

“This presents some of the key scientific discoveries made at Station ALOHA and published in Limnology and Oceanography over the past three decades,” said and , HOT directors, in the of the special volume.

The American Society for Microbiology recently designated Station ALOHA as a Milestones in Microbiology Site, one of only 15 institutions, scientists or locations where significant contributions toward advancing the science of microbiology have been achieved.

See the .

—By Marcie Grabowski

President made his report to the at their meeting on September 20, 2018.

Highlights include:

• 糖心Vlog官方 hurricane response ()
• A star is born! Atmospheric sciences Assistant Professor Alison Nugent ()
• Happy birthday, Emeritus Regent Chuck Gee ()
• Happy birthday, Emeritus Professor Ryuzo Yanagimachi ()
• 25th anniversary—糖心Vlog官方 Cancer Center鈥檚 Multiethnic Cohort Study ()
• 30th anniversary—Hawaiʻi Ocean Time Series鈥� Station Aloha ()
• Enrollment update—Kauaʻi CC leading the way ()
• 糖心Vlog官方 campuses the most diverse in the country ()
• Cash for College encouraging FAFSA completion ()
• Importance of free speech and diversity of viewpoints ()
• Leeward CC recognized as NSA Center of Excellence ()

View previous reports to the board.

The (HOT) program based at the has been awarded $9 million in new funding from the National Science Foundation to continue for another five years. Even more auspicious, this month marks the 30th anniversary of the endeavor that has led to so many discoveries in marine ecology and ocean and climate sciences.

The HOT program has provided consistent, long-term observations of physical, biological and chemical properties of the open ocean in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

HOT was established in 1988 to improve scientific understanding of the structure, dynamics and controls of major biogeochemical cycles in the sea, especially the carbon cycle. In that year, both and , who were professors of oceanography in 糖心Vlog官方’s newly created (SOEST), established a deep ocean observation station dubbed ALOHA (A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment) 60 miles north of Oʻahu as the benchmark site for the HOT program.

Looking back on 30 years of exploration

For 30 years a large and diverse team of researchers has documented variability of ocean water masses and circulation; observed habitat variability; determined relationships between microbial community structure and function, including nutrient dynamics and carbon sequestration; and measured carbon dioxide in the upper ocean and changes to the capacity of the ocean to absorb it.

“In looking back at the past 30 years, there is plenty to be proud of and to celebrate,” said Karl.

Station ALOHA is one of the best-sampled places in the world鈥檚 oceans with a decades-long record of how the ocean responds to climate change. In addition to the monthly ship-based observations, HOT program scientists utilize real-time satellite-based remote observations, as well as unattended mooring measurements, autonomous instrumented gliders and floats, and a cabled seafloor observatory. They have provided invaluable documentation on progressive ocean acidification, and changes to seawater temperatures and Hawaiʻi’s marine ecosystem.

The next chapter of the HOT program

During the five-year duration of the grant, the HOT program will transition to new leadership. , a newly hired oceanography associate professor, and , SOEST researcher, will co-lead this next chapter.

“I am excited to be a part of a program that our society has thankfully supported for 30 years—the long-term monitoring of our planet,” said White, who has conducted research at Station ALOHA for years. “Change is the only constant. Through this program, we’ve been watching the ocean carefully for decades and we鈥檙e starting to see strong, meaningful and statistically significant changes in response to human activities. It鈥檚 more important than ever that we continue this time-series.”

Added Potemra, “Station ALOHA is unique in the world not only because of the HOT program, but it is also where SOEST maintains the deepest real-time observatory, the , and a . The continuation of HOT is a key piece to keep all these projects going hopefully well into the future.”

The HOT program receives primary funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with the Simons Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the State of Hawaiʻi.

糖心Vlog官方 News video: Ocean climate change research sets benchmark

糖心Vlog官方 has completed 300 research cruises to Station ALOHA, about 60 miles north of Oʻahu, one of the best-sampled places in the world’s oceans with a decades-long record of how the ocean responds to climate change.

—By Marcie Grabowski

The has hit a major milestone in its critical research to observe and understand how the ocean responds to climate change.

On February 28, 2018, 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 research vessel Kilo Moana returned from its 300th scientific expedition of the (HOT) program. Completion of 300 research cruises makes Station ALOHA, about 60 miles north of Oʻahu, one of the best-sampled places in the world鈥檚 oceans with a decades-long record of how the ocean responds to climate change.

糖心Vlog官方 has undertaken almost monthly research cruises for 30 years to the same observation area to observe and interpret habitat variability, and to observe and understand the impacts of climate variability and change on the marine ecosystem.

“It is really satisfying to reach this milestone, and to see the growing importance of the HOT program accomplishments,” said , 糖心Vlog官方 oceanography professor and co-director of the . “Here we are at 30 years and counting. Each additional year of observations brings us closer to a fundamental understanding of how the ocean functions, and its relationships to climate.”

Invaluable documentation on progressive ocean acidification

On November 3, 1988, the scientists and crew aboard 糖心Vlog官方 research vessel Moana Wave successfully established a deep ocean observation station dubbed ALOHA (A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment) as the benchmark site for the HOT program. Karl and Roger Lukas, who at the time were both professors of oceanography in 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 newly created (SOEST), led the expedition.

The primary objective of HOT was to obtain a long-term time-series of physical, biological and chemical observations at a location that was characteristic of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre habitat to address U.S. Global Change Research Program goals鈥攖o document and understand variability of ocean water masses and circulation; to determine the relationships between microbial community structure and function, including nutrient dynamics and carbon sequestration; and to measure carbon dioxide in upper ocean and changes in the capacity of the ocean to absorb it.

“Observing the ocean carefully, consistently, frequently and long enough to capture important modes of variability is very hard work that is occasionally rewarded with fundamental discoveries,” said Lukas, now a 糖心Vlog官方 oceanography emeritus professor.

In addition to the monthly ship-based observations, HOT program scientists have access to real-time satellite-based remote observations, unattended mooring measurements, autonomous instrumented gliders and floats, and a cabled seafloor observatory with power and fiber optic internet connections back to Oʻahu. This has provided invaluable documentation on progressive ocean acidification, changes in seawater temperatures, and changes in plankton biodiversity.

“The HOT program is providing new understanding of fundamental ocean processes, even as those processes are being modified by human activities on a global scale,” said SOEST Dean . “It is essential to skillfully continue the HOT observations, experiments, data analysis and student training that we may monitor, and inform society how best to respond to, the changing ocean conditions.”

HOT program is 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 floating classroom

In addition to its primary mission of ocean research, the HOT program has been an invaluable training ground for undergraduate and graduate students as “糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 floating classroom,” Karl said. “Several of our former students, and their students, are now involved in HOT program research鈥攕o the HOT influence has now extended into the next generation of marine scientists.”

The success of the HOT program, to date, is a result of the coordinated, dedicated efforts of a large team of academic scientists, marine technicians and engineers, and the professional crews of the research vessels.

The HOT program receives primary funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with the Simons Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the State of Hawaiʻi.

—By Marcie Grabowski

Microbes dominate the planet, especially the ocean, and help support the entire marine food web. In , University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 oceanography professor and his team report the largest single-site microbiome gene catalog constructed to date. With this new information, the team discovered nutrient limitation is a central driver in the evolution of ocean microbe genomes.

As a group, marine microbes are extremely diverse and versatile with respect to their metabolic capabilities. All of this variability is encoded in their genes. Some marine microorganisms have genetic instructions that allow them to use the energy derived from sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into organic matter. Others use organic matter as a carbon and energy source and produce carbon dioxide as a respiration end-product. Other, more exotic pathways have also been discovered.

“But how do we characterize all these diverse traits and functions in virtually invisible organisms, whose numbers approach a million cells per teaspoon of seawater?” asked DeLong, senior author on the paper. “This newly constructed, comprehensive gene catalog of microbes inhabiting the ocean waters north of the Hawaiian Islands addresses this challenge.”

Transition zone reveals influence of nutrients

Water samples were collected over two years, and modern genome sequencing technologies were used to decode the genes and genomes of the most abundant microbial species in the upper 3,000 feet of water at the (HOT) Program open ocean field site, Station ALOHA.

Just below the depth of sunlit layer, the team observed a sharp transition in the microbial communities present. They reported that the fundamental building blocks of microbes, their genomes and proteins, changed drastically between depths of about 250-650 feet.

“In surface waters, microbial genomes are much smaller, and their proteins contain less nitrogen<—a logical adaptation in this nitrogen-starved environment,” said Daniel Mende, post-doctoral researcher at the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST) and lead author on the paper. “In deeper waters, between 400–650 feet, microbial genomes become much larger, and their proteins contain more nitrogen, in tandem with increasing nitrogen availability with depth.”

“These results suggest that the availability of nutrients in the environment may actually shape how microbial genomes and proteins evolve in the wild,” said DeLong. “Another surprising finding of the study is that the microbial ‘genomic transition zone’ observed occurs over a very narrow depth range, just beneath the sunlit layer. Below about 650 feet deep, the fundamental properties of microbial genomes and proteins are relatively constant, all the way down to the seafloor.”

Making data widely available

In collaboration with a computer science group led by professor Bonnie Hurwitz at the University of Arizona, who are seeking to describe the nature and function of microbes in the global oceans.

“These new data will provide an important tool for understanding the nature and function of the ocean鈥檚 microbiome today, as well as help predict its trajectory into the future,” said DeLong.

This effort was the result of a collaboration between three major programs at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补—the Program, the National Science Foundation Science and Technology (C-MORE), and the (SCOPE). These programs are operated out of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 Daniel K. Inoue C-MORE Hale. The work was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Simons Foundation.

—By Marcie Grabowski

The (ACO), the deepest operating ocean observatory on the planet that provides power and internet communications to scientific instruments on the seafloor, recently celebrated 10 years of operations. The development and deployment of the nearly 3-mile deep observatory was led by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (SOEST) and supported by grants from the (NSF) to 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa.

First sounds from the deep sea

“Since the HMS Challenger plumbed the deeps during its 1876 circumnavigation, measurements of the deep ocean have remained sporadic and extremely sparse in time and space. Our goal at ACO has been to establish a permanent toehold in this extreme abyssal environment, enabling discovery and sustained study of the ocean at Station ALOHA,” said , principal investigator for ACO and professor at SOEST.

In 2007, a retired AT&T cable, running from Hawaiʻi to California, was retrieved off the seafloor—where it had rested for almost 20 years—and brought to Station ALOHA, the site of 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa’s program (HOT). Through HOT, scientists have been studying upper-ocean variability at Station ALOHA since 1988 during monthly cruises. The cable repurposing required a 513-foot U.S. Navy cable repair ship, Zeus, with its grapple and large cable engines. Once on board, the cable was cut and a frame with a pressure sensor and hydrophone (to record sound) was attached to the free end of the cable. The assembly was lowered down to the ocean floor and the ACO was born—connecting equipment on the seafloor to a shore station in Mākaha, on the island of Oʻahu.  

“If the hydrophone worked, it would prove the future possibilities of a deep-sea observatory there,” said Fred Duennebier, geology professor emeritus and ACO pioneer. “On February 16, 2007, the instruments landed on the bottom and moments later scientists on land could hear the singing of humpback whales in real-time through the cable.”

Expanding observations

In 2011, sensors that measure temperature, salinity, currents and acoustics, and a video camera were added using the remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) Jason.

“On the morning of June 6, researchers on land could see the seafloor illuminated by LED lights through the video camera plugged into the observatory,” said Howe. “They could hear the sound of the ocean, with all its clicks and songs, through the hydrophones installed. They could see the temperature and salinity of the water change ever so slightly with time and chart the currents up to 100 meters off the seafloor. The ALOHA Cabled Observatory had succeeded and continues to shed light on the science of the seafloor and the water column above.”

On the last maintenance cruise, the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa ROV Luʻukai was used to plug in another new sensor and will be used in future visits to add instrumentation and service what is there.

The ACO provides infrastructure for continuous, interactive ocean sampling. On-going scientific research includes studies of deep-sea biology; abyssal circulation and mixing; and acoustic signatures of earthquakes, ships, marine mammals, waves, wind and rain. New insights have been gained as a result of the cabled observatory providing continuous and substantial power for lights and camera and real-time communications for the voluminous video data. ACO researchers have observed never-before-seen animal interactions and gained new understanding of deep ocean processes. Their discoveries and observations at ACO have challenged the conventional thinking that the deep ocean was relatively quiet and constant.

Long history of collaboration

Support for the ACO began in 2002 when the NSF approved the proposal that would push work on the observatory forward. In 2007, the NSF and the Office of Naval Research provided support for the USNS Zeus to recover, cut, terminate and relocate the HAW-4 fiber optic telecommunications cable to Station ALOHA. AT&T transferred the cable to the for a nominal fee. In addition, ACO has been made possible by the collaborative and substantial efforts of many individuals and organizations. Detailed .

—By Marcie Grabowski

A three minute video produced by a team from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology’s (HOT) program has been selected as one of 10 finalists in the , a video competition calling for video abstracts that not only summarize recently published research findings but also highlights their relevance and real-world implications. More than 50,000 6th to 8th graders will vote on a final winning video.

Based on the study published in , the team, consisting of David M. Karl, Matthew Church, Eric Grabowski and Drew Briscoe developed their video submission to focus on marine microorganisms and their influence on climate through the production and consumption of greenhouse gases, particularly in the North Pacific Ocean. The video also highlights the work of the HOT program that has been conducting research in the North Pacific since 1988. The Ocean 180 Video Challenge competition offers exposure to the HOT program and the research contributions the team continues to make.

“We are incredibly excited because 50,000+ 6th to 8th grade students from around the world will watch and learn about our research,” said Grabowski, who served as editor, director and cinematographer for the project. “This is an incredible outreach that could not happen if it were not for competitions like this.”

Sponsored by the , winners of the video challenge will be announced in late February.

—By Kapiʻolani Ching