University of Hawaii, R/V Kilo Moana Ship Operations 2024-2028

University of Hawaii seeks funds to continue operating R/V Kilo Moana, a research vessel owned by the US Navy and operated by University of Hawaii as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) U.S. Academic Research Fleet (ARF). This general-purpose Ocean Class SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) research vessels home port is

Honolulu, Hawaii, making it the only ARF vessel based in the central North Pacific Ocean. This location provides proximity to research sites in the central and western Pacific, with transit costs more than a week less than ships based on the US west coast. A particular focus of research using R/V Kilo Moana is the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT)

site at Station ALOHA, an important site for study of biogeochemistry, oceanography, climate and plankton ecology and microbiology processes in the oligotrophic subtropical North Pacific Ocean (http://hahana.soest.hawaii.edu/hot/). The 30 + year HOT program stands as a landmark achievement in US ocean research, and

Station ALOHA has been recognized as a "Milestones in Microbiology Site" by the American Society for Microbiology. Research at Ocean Station ALOHA was a key element in the award of support by NSF for the Center for Microbial Ocean Research and Education (C-MORE) as a Science and Technology Center of Excellence at UH, and in the selection of HOT co-founder

David Karl as a Fellow of the National Academy of Science. Located in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, R/V Kilo Moana provides access to the sea to any US researcher funded by NSF or another US federal agency. The vessel’s stable SWATH design provides access to researchers who would otherwise be unable to sail due to seasickness, as

vessel motion is much less than on a standard 'monohull' vessel. The platform provides direct access to deep ocean habitats, vibrant coral reefs, undersea volcanic terrains, and some of the most isolated ecosystems in the world. Given our geographic location R/V Kilo Moana provides access to research in the Pacific in less of a carbon footprint than other vessels in the

research academic fleet. R/V Kilo Moana supports educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, funded both by federal agencies and the School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.