The Koyal Group Info Mag Articles - Dozens of
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) scientists and student researchers will
present new research findings at the 2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting at the Hawai‘i
Convention Center on February 24-28.
This 17th biennial meeting will be the largest international assembly of
oceanographers and other aquatic science researchers and policy makers, with
attendance expected to exceed 4,000.
For a full list of sessions
and presentations, visit: http://www.sgmeet.com/osm2014/. Conference registration is complimentary for
members of the news media.
A selection of School of
Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) highlights includes the
following:
Science Research Sessions and Presentations:
Celebrating 25 years of
sustained marine observations, scientists
working at the open ocean field site Station ALOHA will share biological,
chemical and physical oceanography discoveries deriving from Hawai‘i’s own
unique ocean science field programs.
Station ALOHA was established by the Hawaiʻi Ocean Time-series (HOT)
program in 1988, and has been visited on a monthly basis since that time. The emerging data comprise one of the only
existing records of decadal-scale ecosystem change in the North Pacific Ocean. "Time series research is more important
than ever before; understanding planetary change requires high quality
observations and measurements,” said Matthew Church, UHM Oceanography
Professor and HOT Program Principle Investigator. “Humans
are influencing the oceans in many ways, and measurements made at Station ALOHA
are helping us understand and document how ocean ecosystems are responding to
these changes." This session
includes more than 25 presentations drawing from observations from present day
back to 1988, including long-term changes and trends observed in ocean biology,
chemistry, and physics. Among the
notable topics highlighted in this session include documenting ocean
acidification, studies on time-varying changes in biodiversity, and the
influence of local and regional climate on ocean ecosystem behavior around
Hawai‘i.
Chip Fletcher, UHM Geology
Professor and his team will describe their effort to monitor and evaluate beach
erosion rates at the Royal Hawaiian Beach in Waikīkī. One year after a major
sand replenishment program, the beach width appears to vary by location and by
season, resulting in net erosion in eastern and western portions of beach.
In the “Story of Marine Debris from the 2011 Tsunami in Japan,” UHM
International Pacific Research Center scientists Jan Hafner and Nikolai Maximenko
will present the latest synthesis of modeling and observations over the 3 years
tracking the debris. This synthesis has resulted in understanding the pathways
of the drift from the debris. The improved ocean drift model can help locate
marine debris, marine animals, and people lost at sea.
Other research presentations
will focus on ocean acidification, sea-level rise and inundation, and climate
change including extreme sea level variability due to El Nino events, among
many other topics.
Education and Engagement:
UH Mānoa’s Center for
Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) and the Monterey Bay
Aquarium Research Institute are hosting a Youth Science Symposium on Tuesday,
February 25, from 4-6 p.m. Nearly 20 middle and high school youth scientists
will present posters of their research.
SOEST will share several
programs aimed at recruiting Native Hawaiian students into ocean and earth
science. Funded by C-MORE and NSF, the
Ocean TECH program engages middle school, high school and community college
students in the ocean and earth sciences through technology, career pathways
and interaction with career professionals.
Funded by the UHM Sea Grant College Program and offered in partnership
with Kapiʻolani and Leeward Community Colleges, the SOEST Maile Mentoring
Bridge supports Native Hawaiian students throughout their undergraduate years
through mentoring relationships that offer encouragement and the sharing of
academic and non-academic knowledge.
“Marine Microbiological Mysteries” is a new UHM Outreach College program
designed for grades 9-12 to help foster interest in pursuing STEM careers. The
hands-on learning opportunity at the Waikīkī Aquarium places microbiology in a
real-world context. This presentation is
part of an OSM session titled
"Sea-ing connections: Ocean science as a catalyst to inspire the next wave
of young (preK-16) scientists and keep students engaged within and outside the
classroom."
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