University of Hawaii Ship Operations 2005-2009

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal requests funds to support the research vessel KILO MOANA, which will be used as a platform for 13 separate cruises for NSF funded research programs. In 2005, the ship will be operating in both the north and south Pacific. The ship has a 236-day schedule, and 116 of those days support NSF Oceanographic programs. This is year 1 of 5 of a new cooperative agreement, and ship support will be renegotiated each year. The level of support is directly related to the number of days of ship time in support of NSF funded research program. INTELLECTUAL AND TECHNICAL MERIT Hawaiian Ocean Time (HOT) series measurements north of Oahu have characterized the hydrography and biogeochemistry of the north Pacific subtropical gyre since 1988. The ship will continue to support this program and will be used to conduct co-located process studies, including the deployment of multi-disciplinary ocean sensors for environmental analyses and networks (MOSEAN). The KILO MOANA will also be involved in exploration of the South Pacific, including two MARGINS studies of New Zealand sediment dynamics and shelf/slope processes, as well as a program that samples young volcanism associated with the mantle hot spot in American Samoa. In terms of BROADER IMPACTS, use of UH ships will allow researchers to make cost-effective studies of the currents, nutrients, CO2 and biota that together control the physical, biological and chemical processes in the surface ocean and the flux of CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere. Such studies are part of large international efforts to understand the global carbon cycle, coupled ocean-atmosphere climate forcing, and ocean ecosystem dynamics and productivity - all of which are environmental and public policy issues with direct societal impacts. Regarding quality of service, the UH Marine Center is the first and still the only UNOLS operator to obtain the "Company Compliance for Marine Safety and Quality Management" which certifies that we meet the requirements of ISO 9001 (Quality), as well as the "Document of Compliance" for ISM (Safety). KILO MOANA was issued her "Document of Compliance" for ISM in June 2003. The University of Hawaii is an EPSCoR institution, with an underrepresented student population that is far from the mainland and alternate facilities, but whose location and maritime tradition are ideally suited for oceanography. KILO MOANA is the newest ship and the first Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) vessel in the US academic research fleet. The SWATH hull is designed to provide a stable platform that allows research to continue in higher sea conditions than comparable monohulls. In 2005 we will sustain operations in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea from June into October. Her sea kindliness is particularly advantageous for support of education and public outreach where many of the participants do not have their sea legs. Each year we conduct state-funded student cruises to make the most of this opportunity and we are including high school teachers in these cruises in support of K-12 education. In addition we have held open houses and encouraged schools and other groups to take tours of the vessels. The KILO MOANA is at the cutting edge of research vessel technology and we plan to continue to maximize her exposure to the public.