$1.7 Million for Hawai‘i Ocean Research, Estuary Management

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will award a total of $1,748,582 to the University of Hawai‘i to fund its Sea Grant College Program and its management of the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The funding announcement was made by US Senator Brian Schatz of Hawai‘i who serves as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“These programs are part of the statewide momentum to preserve and restore our natural resources,” said Sen. Schatz. “I’m glad they will have the funding they need for research, field projects, and community engagement.”

The University of Hawai‘i will receive $1,058,582 for its Sea Grant College Program, which is part of a national network of 32 programs that promote better understanding, conservation, and use of coastal resources. This funding will be directed to projects that address needs from the upland watersheds to the waters and reefs offshore.

The program also integrates innovative social research to help Hawai‘i more sustainably support tourism, which is a major economic engine in the state.

The University of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology will also receive $690,000 to fund its management of the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve. Located in Kaneohe, the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve is part of NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System and encompasses 1,385 acres of upland forests and grasslands, wetlands, reefs and seagrass beds, as well as the He‘eia Fishpond.