National Science Foundation grant funding deepwater seaweed research at University of Hawaiʻi

A new research project at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, focusing on deepwater seaweed species, has been awarded an $892,290 grant from the National Science Foundation.

The initiative will collect, identify, describe and name new species off Hawaiʻi coastlines in the mesophotic zone, a low-light environment extending from about 98 to 492 feet deep.

The mesophotic zone is home to organisms such as seaweeds that are not well-understood. Previous studies in this zone revealed that 52% of the seaweed species encountered were previously unknown to science.

The project is the first investigation into genome-level adaptations of red, green and brown seaweeds that live under these conditions. It is led by principal investigator Alison Sherwood, professor at UH’s School of Life Sciences and acting dean of the College of Natural Sciences, and Gernot Presting, professor of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering at UH’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

The project also will add to biodiversity records data, mesophotic genomic resources and herbarium (dried plant) collections, and the discovery of new species of seaweed in Hawaiian waters. Mesophotic seaweeds will be collected through a collaboration with researches from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Characterizing and describing these species is important for developing a greater understanding of the distribution of marine organisms across the Pacific, for tracking invasive species, and contributing to the larger goal of understanding global biodiversity,” Sherwood said. “While little is known about the seaweeds now, we hope our research will find out how these organisms are able to grow and thrive in the low-light environment of the mesophotic zone, and shed light on the many endemic species that inhabit this depth range.”

Hawaiian names for new species of seaweeds will be developed through an ongoing partnership with the NOAA Cultural Working Group, which has already resulted in names for a number of new Hawaiian seaweed species.

The project will train the next generation of algal biologists for jobs by exposing them to the most up-to-date DNA sequencing techniques, training in herbarium curation, genomics, bioinformatics, and ecological and evolutionary analyses.

The researchers will showcase their results through outreach events, scientific conferences and peer-reviewed publications. Samples of the newly discovered seaweed species also will be archived by the Bishop Museum in Honolulu and displayed through a continuously updated exhibit dedicated to Hawaiian mesophotic seaweeds.